


this world of ours (is not as it seems)

by collegefangirl3791, skywalking-across-the-galaxy (BadWolfGirl01)



Series: lullabies [6]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Ahsoka Tano Needs a Hug, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anakin Skywalker: dumpster fire, Angst, BAMF Ahsoka Tano, But also, Death, Established Relationship, Everyone Needs A Hug, Everything Hurts, F/M, Have fun lol, Heavy Angst, Human Disaster Anakin Skywalker, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Torture, Loneliness, Lots of it, Manipulation, Manipulative Sheev Palpatine, Politics, Possession, Prison Break-Out, Rex Needs a Hug, Survivor Guilt, Terrorism, The Dark Side of the Force, This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, This tag has literally never been so appropriate, duh - Freeform, get ready boys and girls, it all goes downhill from here, so much of it, that's the truest tag i've ever seen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2019-05-14
Packaged: 2019-07-16 08:47:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 120,089
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16082630
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/collegefangirl3791/pseuds/collegefangirl3791, https://archiveofourown.org/users/BadWolfGirl01/pseuds/skywalking-across-the-galaxy
Summary: But Mandalorians are tougher than they'd bargained for, and Maul himself is a brilliant strategist, which makes things hard. They'd been bogged down in one of the cities in the southern hemisphere for a full week, just trying to break past the outer defenses, because as it turns out the combination of “no qualms about using civilians as living shields” and “knows how to use smaller numbers to their advantage” in a Sith is kriffing deadly.They've lost a lot of good men already, and things are only getting harder. Anakin and Obi-Wan both have just been called back to Coruscant (something about the Chancellor getting himself kidnapped, the idiot), with their battalions, leaving Ahsoka to handle the attack on Sundari alone--her first solo attack as a General.It's not the tactics she's worried about, it's the sudden drop in numbers.[or the siege of mandalore and the end of the war]





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to the last fic in the lullabies series! This one will be a monster, so strap yourselves in. We have so much fun planned for you all!
> 
> The title is from the song "Demon Slayer" by Voltair.

Ahsoka lays on her stomach on the top of a ridge, peering through her macrobinoculars at the main landing platform and entrance to Sundari, the capital city of Mandalore. Maul has almost completely changed the look of the place since he took over; in the month of space battles and attempts to enter the atmosphere, followed by long campaigns at other cities on the planet, he's had time to install heavy weapons and anti-aircraft guns into the very surface of the city's biodome. There's also a series of defensive fortifications set up in concentric rings around the whole city, manned by Mandalorian warriors and crime syndicate bounty hunters alike, trenches and cannons and artificial cover. The city's been prepared for a siege.

And that's exactly what this campaign has become: the Siege of Mandalore.

It shouldn't have been this _ difficult. _ While he's a powerful Sith, Maul’s actual army is small and had at least _ seemed _ spread thin, over the whole planet. But Mandalorians are tougher than they'd bargained for, and Maul himself is a brilliant strategist, which makes things _ hard. _ They'd been bogged down in one of the cities in the southern hemisphere for a full _ week, _ just trying to break past the outer defenses, because as it turns out the combination of “no qualms about using civilians as living shields” and “knows how to use smaller numbers to their advantage” in a _ Sith _ is kriffing _ deadly. _

They've lost a lot of good men already, and things are only getting harder. Anakin and Obi-Wan both have just been called back to Coruscant (something about the Chancellor getting himself kidnapped, the idiot),  _ with their battalions, _ leaving Ahsoka to handle the attack on Sundari alone--her first solo attack as a General.

It's not the tactics she's worried about, it's the sudden drop in numbers.

Bo-Katan, who is apparently Duchess  Satine’s sister and a former Death Watch member, is laying on Ahsoka's left side, Rex on her right, all three of them focused on the goal.

“Recon of the other landing platforms indicates that they're all similarly guarded,” Bo-Katan says tersely, staring out at the desolate landscape in front of them. “With our former numbers, I'd suggest splitting up, attacking multiple points at once, but now?” She shrugs. “We don't have the numbers to overwhelm their defenses if we split our forces.”

Bo-Katan is in command of some fifty warriors, who defected from Death Watch after Maul apparently challenged and successfully killed Pre Vizla. According to her, the ancient customs of the _ mando'ade _ (which means, apparently, “children of Mandalore”) mean nothing when an outsider tries to claim them. Those fifty have proven to be _ invaluable _ in terms of fighting prowess and their knowledge of the cities.

“Hmm.” Ahsoka frowns, trying to make a headcount of hostiles in front of the main entrance, though it's hard through the fading light of dusk. (She tries to push away the tangle of anxiety in her stomach, saying she's not good enough, not ready, that she's going to _ fail, _ but she's only half-successful.) “I can't really see anything else in this light- we should head back to camp and discuss our options, try to scout again in the morning.”

“Alright, sir,” Rex says, and she shoots him a bit of a smile, even though he has his helmet on and she won't be able to see his response. “I'll get the men.”

They have a few squads of men out scouting, most in the company of a Mandalorian (like Jak, who is apparently Bo-Katan’s second-in-command, and Elle, her third), trying to observe Sundari from all angles as stealthily as possible. Maul knows they're coming, of course, they've been making their slow, steady way to the capital for weeks now, but he hopefully doesn't know exactly _ when _ or _ how. _ And she doesn't _ think _ he's got spies among their numbers, so theoretically, if they can keep quiet- this could be a surprise attack.

That would be good. They're going to need all the help they can get to win this one.

~~~

The trek back to the camp is near-silent, careful, and they don’t travel in any kind of formation. They don’t want to risk anyone from Sundari noticing their scouting team. This campaign has been  _ hell,  _ so Rex hasn’t been talking much lately anyway. Easier to stay focused if he isn’t wasting time and energy in conversation. This is the most grueling campaign he’s had in a long time, excluding Umbara- the 501st is more often sent in for quick, powerful strikes than for these endless, day-in-day-out battles where they’re mired in one place for weeks at a time. It’s taking a toll on his men, and on him. He’s proud of Ahsoka, partly for that reason: this is not a typical campaign for them, and it’s hard on everyone, but she’s been a proper General, done the absolute best she could. He thinks they may be able to win this, now, although there’s still time for Maul to maneuver, still time for things to go wrong and for them to end up right back where they started. But Ahsoka is like Anakin in that she can come up with strategies that aren’t predictable, aren’t typical, aren’t even necessarily foolproof, and make them work. She’s been doing that almost since she became a Commander, and she’s only gotten better at it.

So Rex is… not optimistic, perhaps, but hopeful about their chances.

Their encampment is low-profile, and they’d made the choice to exchange defensibility for mobility and subtlety. They've pitched tents, set up a rotating patrol, and left most of their supplies packed and ready to move out. As they filter back into the camp, the men and Mandalorians who'd been waiting in the camp get to their feet and come their way, some pushing out of tents. Everyone's so tired, Rex can see it on their faces, so they’re all hoping for good news or a brilliant plan. All Rex and Ahsoka can offer them right now though is questions. Maybe in a few hours they’ll have a good strategy.

He pulls off his helmet, wearily, tucks it under his arm, and Jesse comes over to them, fiddling with his kama. “How’d it go, sirs?” he asks, and Rex laughs shortly.

“We’re not really sure yet,” he says, nodding to Ahsoka.

“We’re working on it,” she says, and Jesse nods, rubs his head with a sigh.

“Nothing to report here.” Jesse falls in next to Rex to go with them to the command tent - they’ll need to discuss the results of the scouting mission, and hear back from the squadleaders who’d led scouting teams to see what they found, before they can actually rest and eat.

Nothing to report is good. Their alliance with Bo-Katan’s warriors has been necessary and invaluable, but there was a certain amount of tension at the start of it that has not yet entirely dissipated. Jesse himself is apparently not a fan of the Mandalorians at all, and has told Rex that a number of times. “They all think they’re better than us,” Jesse had hissed, after the first week of fighting, “just because they have their own karking faces. Never mind they’re all  _ kriffing terrorists.” _

He’s mellowed about it, a little, but there’s still chatter on helmet comms about the Mandalorians, because to a certain extent Jesse had been right - their Mando allies certainly respect Rex’s men for their fighting, but it’s taken some doing to get them to address his men as  _ equals,  _ and some of the Mandalorians still seem angry that the clones have claimed Mando’a as their language.

Rex made it explicitly clear to the battalion, as soon as he realized it may be a problem, that infighting with the Mandos would not be tolerated, and they did try to listen, which was good. He still had to put Akaan on extra patrols and cut his rations for a few days when his  _ vod  _ couldn’t hold his temper and punched a Mando woman in the face. Akaan still doesn’t seem to regret it, but Rex told him if he did something like that again he was going to be on the camp set-up crew for the rest of the campaign, as opposed to being on rotation like the rest of the soldiers.

But things are finally settling down, apparently, and when Rex looks around the camp, the Mandalorians and his  _ vode  _ are mingling, if not actually talking to each other. Good enough.

They walk into the command tent and Rex keeps an eye on Ahsoka, although of course he’d never tell her he has been. She’s only commanded _by_ _herself_ a few times before, never as a General, and he’s a little worried about how she’s taking all their losses, a little worried she’ll get overwhelmed. At the moment, though, she doesn’t look overwhelmed. She looks like a General. Partly it’s the high-collared grey and white tunic, the beskar headpiece (she keeps her akul teeth in her pack with her few belongings, now), the black shoulder armor and gloves from him and Cody, and the beskar bracers painted dark blue. Partly it’s the calculating (if tired) look in her eyes, the way she goes to lean against the small, glitchy holotable in the middle of the tent and pulls up their maps and plans again, the determined set to her muscled shoulders.

Rex keeps telling her he trusts her to be able to do this. Most of the time he thinks she believes him. Sometimes he can tell she’s unsure, but that only makes sense.

This is a big campaign to have to handle when she’s only newly a General - but she has Bo-Katan, now, and she’s perfectly capable of doing this. Rex knows it. So when she looks up at him from her map of Sundari, he smiles at her and walks over to stand next to her, setting his hand on her shoulder and noting the tension there.

“We’ve almost got them,” he says, seriously. “Figure it should be easy the rest of the way, sir.” He is, of course, teasing, and as he’d hoped it draws a wry smile out of Ahsoka.

~~~

Ahsoka snorts, shakes her head a bit, smiling despite her exhaustion.  _ “Easy _ is relative, Rex,” she says, sighs. Refocuses in on the holomap of Sundari in front of her, the city's entrances marked in glowing red. There are four: the main one, the loading docks, the small back entrance Bo-Katan apparently took Obi-Wan out when he rescued Satine, and an emergency exit out the back of the palace, apparently built back during the days of the constant clan wars. Ahsoka would _ like _ to think that particular entrance could be used to sneak them inside, very close to Maul, but she's not an  _ idiot; _ if that entrance isn't guarded just as heavily (or more) than the others, then it's a trap. And she has _ no _ desire to find out what kind.

“My contacts within the city still haven't reported any sightings of Savage Oppress,” Bo-Katan says, and _ that's _ concerning. She's not entirely sure where the other Sith is- he could be out setting up another trap for them somewhere, or fighting to regain another foothold on the planet.

Or maybe he's just dead. That would be by far the best option.

“Well, let's hope it stays that way,” Ahsoka says tiredly, rubbing at her eyes a moment before shifting her hand to work at the spot of tension beneath her headdress that's blossoming into a terrible headache. “I have an idea, a basic one at least. We can take a few small squads in to the three bigger entrances, stealthily take down their defenses without them ever knowing we’re there. Then, once those are down, we split the battalion. Rex, you and Jesse would take Torrent and a couple other squads in through here,” and she indicates the loading docks with one finger, “and I'll take the rest of the battalion and Bo-Katan's forces in through the main entrance. We meet up in the middle, regroup to take on the palace. Anyone with a jetpack is responsible for taking out snipers in the upper level.”

“It sounds like a good start, sir,” Rex says, smiling just a little, and she returns the smile gratefully.

This campaign has been _ hell. _ They've lost  _ so _ many men already, and at times that gets overwhelming. Right now she's doing the best she can to push that all _ back, _ because there's a battle to focus on. She can think about that all _ later, _ after they've won. After Satine is in power again.

“We should station some men to make sure Maul doesn't escape out the fourth exit,” Bo-Katan says, and Ahsoka flushes a bit.

She should've thought of that.

“Yeah,” she agrees, nodding, “although I don't know what one squad can do against a Sith Lord this powerful.”

“My warriors have been training since they could walk, and some of them have even fought Jedi.” The Mandalorian shoves her short-cropped red hair out of her eyes. “I'll have Jak take a squad, he's more than capable. Besides, beskar’gam is impervious to sabers.”

Ahsoka blinks. “It is? That's _ cool,” _ and she glances down at her 501st blue-painted beskar bracers. “Right, then that's a good idea, we’ll add it to the plan.”

“Sounds like that  squad’ll have a fun time,” Jesse says quietly, and Ahsoka snorts, turns and raises an eyebrow at him.

“Are you volunteering?”

“No, sir,” he says, fast, and she catches Rex hiding a smile behind his hand.

“Didn't think so. Alright, if that's everything, I think we're done here. Make sure the men sack out early, Jesse,” she adds, warning, “debriefing is at 0500 hours and I want everyone alert. We're enacting the first stage of the plan under cover of darkness.”

“Understood, sir,” Jesse says, saluting, and he turns and ducks out of the tent.

Ahsoka smiles, just a little bit. With any luck, they'll have the capital by the end of the day tomorrow, with hopefully minor losses.

If the Force is with them.

~~~

They discuss a few more things, logistics and specifics for how to take out the defenses and how to proceed if they do manage to make it inside the city, before they leave the command tent. It’s a good plan, although one of the biggest problems is trying to predict Maul himself - as Rex understands it, the Sith is more or less insane, and the only thing they know for certain is that his larger goals only include Mandalore incidentally, and that he  _ hates  _ General Kenobi. But all that aside, they have a solid plan with enough space to adjust it as needed for unexpected setbacks. He and Ahsoka and Bo-Katan and the scouting squadleaders head to one of the supply tents - all of them carry their own rations, but while in the camp, they get rations from their supplies and either make them in their own tents or, as some of Rex’s men have been doing, gather near where they’ve been storing the heavy artillery to sit and talk and eat their rations (which they’ve been having to make  _ cold,  _ which is so much worse than cooking them, so nobody’s really in good spirits after meals anymore).

Tonight, once Rex and Ahsoka get their rations and, once they’re made, join the men that’re already eating. It’s a small group, this evening - just some of his  _ vode  _ from Torrent and some of the Mandalorians that have been friendlier and, somewhat to Rex’s surprise, Bo-Katan’s second-in-command, Jak Ordo. He’s a Mando with half his face ruined by awful scars. Rex knows there’s a running bet in his battalion about where the scars came from - Rex hasn’t put credits down, but he’s fairly sure it’s a lightsaber burn, or at least, that was the original cause of the injury.

Nobody in his battalion, of  _ course,  _ has asked Jak himself.

“Hey,  _ vod. _ General.” Fives, with a barely-disguised look of relief, sets his rations down for a moment to toss a lazy salute at Ahsoka. Rex sits down by him, winks at Brii, who’s gamely working his way through his rations with the look of a man who would rather throw himself off something tall than keep doing whatever he’s doing at the moment.

“Hey, Fives,” Ahsoka says, sitting by Rex and lightly elbowing him so he scoots over.

“How’s the terrain looking, sir?” Echo asks. He’s finished his rations already and looks as serene as a sleeping swan about it. Rex sometimes thinks he genuinely  _ likes  _ rations except that none of them do, not even Akaan or Ridge, and Echo can actually cook good things if he gets a chance, so Echo definitely  _ has  _ working taste buds.

Karking  _ vod  _ is just a determined bastard.

Ahsoka grimaces, whether because of her rations or the question, Rex isn’t sure. “Not the best, but manageable,” she says. “We’ve got a plan, at least.”

Rex’s  _ vode  _ nod, and go back to eating, and Rex sighs and makes himself start eating his own rations. They’re just so  _ bland _ and thick and stick in your throat - they’re slightly better cooked but as it is you sort of have to pretend you’re not even eating anything.

“I saw a weird bird, earlier,” Brii volunteers, with an awkward glance at the Mandalorians - he’s actually made friends with a few of them, Rex is pretty sure, which is more than most of Rex’s  _ vode  _ can say (except Kix, but that’s another matter entirely), but he’s still reticent talking about drawing. “And I drew it, so I could show Naas when we go back.” Brii hasn’t been drawing as much, this campaign, and when he does it’s mostly with charcoal, by himself. He has, however, been creating a growing collection of drawings of animals he sees, which he says is for Naas.

“Can I see?” Rex asks, casually. As usual, that makes Brii stammer, and blush, but he eventually gets out the answer that yes, Rex can look at it, once he cleans the drawing up a little.

Elle Cadera, one of the Mando soldiers and Bo-Katan’s third, apparently, snorts, but Rex knows the laughter isn’t meant unkindly. She and Brii are friendly with each other, which Rex supposes makes sense since Elle is cheerful, mischievous, and paints her armor so many different colors. 

Tup is smiling fondly at Brii, who doesn’t notice because he’s too busy rushing to turn the pages of his sketchbook and apply charcoal to what is presumably his drawing of a bird.

Jesse joins them, after a while, sans rations, rubbing his eye with one hand and pulling off his gauntlets and gloves as he plops down to sit close to Kix (who looks the most tired out of all of them - really it’s a miracle he left the medical tent at all). “Hey,  _ verde, vode,”  _ he says, nodding at Jak and the Mandalorians and then his  _ vode. _

They all nod back. “When do we have to move out?” Kix asks, already going to stand up.

“Hold on,  _ ori’vod.”  _ Jesse turns around to give Kix a sharp look. “Debriefing is at 0500, you won’t have to get up much earlier than that. I told Sniper and your boys, they’re packing up.”

Kix subsides, at least for a bit - making sure the medical supplies are ready for battle is critical, so of course he’s concerned, but the junior medics have it for now. Most likely, Rex will have Kix stay back with the wounded, since there are so many of them this time around.

Of course, he knows Kix would rather be out on the field, but he’s more concerned about their  _ vode  _ here, right now.

“How’s Sniper looking?” Kix asks, so lightly that even Rex almost believes it’s a simple question. However, he knows that it’s actually probably because Sniper’s been using spice again, lately, ever since Umbara, and they’re trying to get him back off the stuff. He doesn’t have any out here, as far as they know, but Kix worries.

“He’s alright.” Jesse sighs. “Has everything running smoothly.”

“Good.” Kix leans back a little, glances over at Elle’s sister, Ca’tra.

Rex and his  _ vode  _ are all betting on whether or not Kix is going to get the  _ gett’se  _ to try anything with her before the end of the campaign. For the sake of his personal stash of credits, Rex is hoping he won’t. But then again, it would be nice for Kix to end up with a Mando girlfriend with the Force. Still. Rex has few enough credits as it is.

~~~

As much as she's enjoying listening to the men talk, Ahsoka can't keep her mind on their conversation. She can _ feel _ Maul, close by, a Dark fire on the edges of awareness- the one variable that could completely ruin their plans, no matter how well-made. She _ thinks _ the Sith will stay inside his palace and watch, or at least, that's her guess, based on everything Obi-Wan told her about Maul. But she really doesn't _ know _ anything for certain, and that's… it's almost terrifying.

She hopes her Masters are doing alright.

As though the thought’s a summons, her wristcomm pings; Ahsoka pushes herself to her feet, leaving what's left of her rations (gladly- they're _ shit), _ steps a short distance away from the others and taps her comm. “Ahsoka Tano here.”

_ “Ahsoka, it's Anakin,” _ her Master’s familiar voice says, and she can't help grinning, relaxing a bit. Except he sounds…  _ worried, _ nervous, and she's not sure why, his end of their training bond is shielded tight.  _ “Do you read me?” _

“Anakin,” she says, cheerfully, notices Rex and Fives at least looking up and over at her, interested. “What do you need?”

There's a pause, then, all in a rush, Anakin says,  _ “Someone told the Council about Tatooine.” _

It takes her a second to make the connection to the Tusken raiders, but when she does, she swears under her breath. “Who would _ do _ that? Are you in trouble?”

_ “I don't know, and not- exactly, but the Council isn't very happy. They've got me on probation. I'm not- I don't know what's going to happen, Snips.” _

Because he could be expelled for this, and the only people who could've told the Council about this are people Anakin _ trusts. _

Ahsoka swallows, says, “We’ll figure it out, Master- I'm sure everything will be okay.”

_ “I hope so. How's the campaign?” _ He sounds almost desperate for a change in subject.

“We attack Sundari tomorrow,” she says, tiredly. “Hopefully it goes well.”

_ “May the Force be with you. I've got to go, but comm me when you're done.” _

“I will. May the Force be with you too.”

The sound of the comm cutting off isn't reassuring. Ahsoka shivers, frowning, staring off into the distance for a moment.

This shouldn't be a problem. But if Anakin's past is finally coming back to haunt him… there are things the Council can _ never _ know.

And she's terrified about what will happen if they learn.

~~~

Rex looks around at his  _ vode,  _ most of whom are exchanging looks, realization dawning slow on their faces. He purses his lips, pushes himself to his feet and walks over to Ahsoka, touching her elbow briefly. “I’m sure it’s gonna work out,” he says, quiet. Mostly, he means that. His General- Anakin has definitely gotten himself out of more awkward situations than this, although dealing with the Council is not… strictly his strong suit.

“Yeah, it’s just… Me too.” She glances over, smiles thinly at him. Then she schools her expression, turns around to the men. “You all better get some rest, we’ve got briefing first thing.”

Fives and Jesse salute, and Rex goes to retrieve his helmet, because he can tell Ahsoka wants to get to sleep herself. He catches up with her, sighing, says, “You did good today, ‘Soka.”

She shakes her head quietly. “This is so  _ hard, _ Rex.”

“I know.” Rex rubs his forehead, tiredly, nodding. It’s exhausting, and dangerous, and something like playing dejarik against somebody you don’t know - they can’t predict Maul very well, although they’ve sort of begun to understand his strategies of late, so much of the campaign has been just trying to stay even one step ahead of where they are, just in case.

They’re so close now, though.

“I really mean it, though,” Rex says, firmly, “You’re doing good with all this.”

“We’re losing so many.”

Rex is silent for a moment, while they walk, watching the ground beneath his feet, then he nods. “Yeah. It happens, with these campaigns especially.” Unfortunate, really, that a  _ siege  _ is Ahsoka’s first campaign as a General, but when have they ever had the luxury of choosing things like that?

“I know, it’s just…” She sighs, and Rex reaches over, curls his fingers loosely around hers as they weave around the last few tents to the tent they’ve been sharing. It’s barely bigger than most of the tents in the encampment, and they haven’t really had to make excuses for sharing it, either. They’re short on space (as it is, some of their troops have ended up sleeping outside without proper shelter, making Rex grateful it’s not winter here), so for a Commander and General who’ve known each other as long as they have to share a tent is no scandalous thing.

That doesn’t stop Rex’s  _ vode  _ from teasing him, unfortunately, whenever they get a chance. He doesn’t have the patience for it, but of course they don’t really care about that.

Rex almost tells Ahsoka  _ you’ll get used to it, _ but instead he pushes aside the tent flap to let her walk in first and says, following her, “It gets easier.”

It doesn’t get easier, but it does get easier to cope. Rex doesn’t  _ want  _ it to get easier to lose them, either - he doesn’t want to know what happens if he stops regretting his losses.

“Does it really?” She sits down on the bedroll in the tent, works off her boots and beskar and shoulder armor. Then she reaches up, slips off her beskar headpiece with a grimace. It doesn’t fit her quite right, apparently, so it tends to give her a headache. Rex sits down next to her, works at his armor pieces, sets helmet and kama and gunbelt and boots and gauntlets and gloves and pauldrons and all the plastoid pieces in neat order so he can get kitted up as fast as possible if he needs to.

“I don’t know,” he says, mildly, a little more honest. “I think so.”

Ahsoka stretches a little, rubs her forehead and lays down with another little wince. “I guess that has to be enough.”

Rex makes a noncommittal noise in the back of his throat, lays down facing her and lets out a long breath, trying to relax. Without really thinking about it, he ends up settling the fingers of one hand against her temple, soothing circles along her forehead and her montrals. She hums a little, eases closer, and Rex chuckles at her just a bit.

He's worried about Anakin, now - Rex and his men and presumably their Jedi have come to their own sort of peace with Anakin's story about what he did on Tatooine. The Council has not had that chance, nor does Rex think they'll want to try.

“Do you think General Skywalker will be back to the battalion like usual if all goes well?” Rex asks, softly. Probation is temporary, so at least after Anakin's been on good behavior long enough, things will go back to normal.

“I hope so,” she says, tilting her head into his hand, sounding sad, and still so tired.

Rex smiles a little at her, leans forward to kiss her forehead. “Today was a long day. Why don't we just get some sleep?”

She sighs, scoots closer to him and sets a hand on his chest, rubbing her fingers lightly back and forth. “I guess we better,” she says, so Rex fits one arm around her, leaves the other hand gentle against her head, and breathes in and out, slow, slow.

“I love you, Ahsoka,” he says, soft. “And it'll be okay.”

“I love you too,” she murmurs, “and I hope you're right.”

“I'm always right.”

“As  _ if.”  _ Ahsoka opens her eyes to glare at him for a second, and he grins. “Out of the two of us, who's the General?”

“You,” Rex says, still grinning. “But like I always say, experience outranks everything.”

“I definitely have enough experience now, Rex, shut  _ up.” _

He chuckles, kisses her forehead placatingly, and winks. “I suppose you're right.”

“Damn straight,” she mutters, and closing her eyes again, leans back into his chest. “Still love you, stupid.”

Rex snorts quietly. “Still love you too. Go to sleep.”

She hums, and Rex curls closer around her, despite the heat and the fact they both smell and feel like banthashit, and slips into a deep, dreamless sleep.

~~~

As tired as she is, Ahsoka is anxious about the battle the next day; as such, there's no danger of her oversleeping. She wakes up an hour before the briefing is scheduled, untangles herself from Rex and sits up, yawning and rubbing at her eyes. If this wasn't a campaign, the only reason she'd be up this early is if she hasn't gone to bed yet (a rare phenomenon, but not as rare as her getting up before the sun, even)- 0400 hours is _ early. _

Thankfully, she thinks this campaign is almost over, and then she and her exhausted men can get showers and sleep for a _ week _ if they want to. She lets herself think longingly of a hot shower and her bed at the Temple, or even Rex's bunk, for a long moment, before sighing and pushing all that _ away. _ It doesn't matter, and she can't afford to be distracted today.

Rex is awake too, she notices, glancing down at where he's still laying next to her; he smiles up at her and then sits up, slowly, stretching a little. “You ready?” he asks, quiet, and she shrugs a bit, reaching for her boots.

“I guess,” she says with a tired sigh. “I just wish I knew what Maul is going to do. He's running out of food and supplies and ammo, we _ should _ have this battle, but I just… I don't know.” She shivers a little, swallows.

“Whatever it is, we'll deal with it,” Rex says, flatly, pulling on his armor pieces. It's all too easy to get distracted watching him as he kits up- she forces her attention back to her other boot, then her shoulder armor, her bracers and gauntlets and gloves. Saves her headdress for last, then pushes herself to her feet, stretches and yawns.

“Yeah,” she agrees, smiling a little. “Between the two of us, Maul won't know what hit him.”

“I sure hope not,” Rex says, smiling up at her, “that's kinda the point.”

She chuckles a bit, shaking her head, steps out of the tent and makes her way towards the command tent, running her fingers absently over her saber hilts. Bo-Katan, Jak, and Elle are already inside, talking in low voices, despite the earliness of the hour, and Ahsoka expects Jesse, Fives, and Echo to show up soon too.

This is too important.

Sure enough, the three troopers come in in a few minutes, and she smiles a little at them, turns the holotable on. “Good morning, everyone,” she says, lightly. “This one's pretty self-explanatory: Rex, you and Jesse take a squad to the loading docks, Bo-Katan and Jak will take a squad of mandos to the back entrance, and I'll take a third squad to the main entrance. This is stealth-focused; we want to get in and get out before they know we're there. Set charges on as much of their defenses as you can and fall back to the battalion’s position in the outlying hills. We'll coordinate the explosions and our initial attacks. Sound good?”

~~~

It’s a good plan. Good enough, Rex thinks, for them to win - so of course he nods, turns his helmet in his hands and sets it on his head. “Say the word, sir.” His  _ vode  _ settle on their own helmets, and Jesse goes on helmet comms.

“She’s good at this.”

“Yeah, I know,” Rex answers, chuckling a little. “Shut up and go get the squads ready to mobilize.”

He switches off helmet comms and follows Jesse out of the command tent, and all their  _ vode,  _ already up and armored and waiting for them, stop talking restlessly among themselves and look over at them. “I need Fives, Tup, Dogma, and Akaan. Jesse has marching orders for the rest of you.”

Jesse nods at him, starts barking orders, and in a moment the 501st men are rushing around; Jak steps up and calls out his own orders in Mando’a, and Rex draws his blasters, waits for his squad to gather around him (excepting Jesse). Dogma, as usual, doesn’t look up from the ground very often, although Rex thinks he’s been doing alright lately. Tup’s a good  _ ori’vod,  _ he’s been helping him.

“We’re running a stealth op with Jesse,” Rex explains, shortly. “We’re blowing the landing pads and three main entrances to Sundari. Our squad is taking the loading docks, using remote detonators to take out the defenses and the way into the city itself. We want to set the detonators without being detected, then we’ll draw back to the battalion to set them off. From there our forces are splitting, we’ll send half in the front entrance and half at the docks- but first things first, we take out the loading docks.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Fives says, drawing a blaster and checking the firing mechanism. Rex rolls his eyes.

“No. But it’s not really this part I’m worried about. Don’t get cocky,  _ vod.” _

“When is he  _ not?”  _ Tup snorts.

It’s a good point, but Rex just shakes his head and waves his hand. “We’re carrying light. Blaster pistols, macrobinocuars, and the thermal detonators. Make it fast.”

They set about outfitting themselves, and Rex comms Ahsoka as he walks. “Do you want us to start the mission whenever we’re ready, sir, or wait for the other squads?”

_ “The sooner you can get started, the better. Just make sure you’re communicating with us,”  _ she tells him, sounds a bit hurried.

“Received.”

Rex and his squad fill packs with thermal detonators, and Rex checks to make sure he has his emergency rations and his canteen. The last time he had an infiltration mission was the Citadel - and that didn’t really go well. But his squad is small enough, and elite enough, he doesn’t foresee too many problems.

It’s the fighting in Sundari itself that concerns him - it’s terrain that they don’t know, but that their opponents do, the riskiest type of battle. And, as he keeps thinking, if they had larger numbers he wouldn’t be so concerned. But of course the 212th and the 607th have been called back to Coruscant, so it’s just them.

He meets back up with his squad near the command tents, comms Ahsoka to let her know they’re setting out, and they make their way out of the camp, across the flatlands. (Mandalore never used to look like this, Bo-Katan had told them; ages ago, Mandalore had been a fertile, green paradise of a planet. Not anymore.)

There are trenches and foxholes between them and Sundari itself, and there’s not a speck of cover on the plains, but it’s  _ dark,  _ early enough that the moons don’t provide any light. So in the few hours remaining before first light, Rex’s squad makes the trek across the field in front of Sundari, occasionally dropping down into the trenches themselves to use them as a way through, keeping fighting to a minimum. The dark can’t totally shield them, Rex knows, but they’re lucky (which Rex knows the importance of, by now; skill only takes you so far, on the battlefield) and only risk complete exposure a few times. But word never makes it back to Sundari, so far as they can tell, and so they make it to the very edge of the biodome in an hour or so, leaving them with a little more than an hour left before sunrise.

They have grappling hooks, and this is the risky thing - they lodge ascension cables in the bottom of the landing platform of the loading dock, and then it’s a thirty-meter climb up to the platform; Rex sighs, because it’s  _ always karking heights,  _ with Ahsoka and Anakin. Why couldn’t  _ that  _ at least have changed?

He lets Fives and Akaan start up their cables first, before he does, because both of them seem to almost  _ enjoy  _ climbing, and then he and Jesse and Tup and Dogma follow. They’re exposed, far too exposed, but it’s still dark, so they move fast (and this is not so hard as freeclimbing, or trying to climb while dealing with clankers). The surface of the biodome is too smooth, overall, to catch footholds, but they manage anyway, use it to steady themselves and keep their arms from getting as tired as they would have.

Still, Rex’s arms are burning by the time Fives and Akaan are hauling themselves slow and cautious over the lip of the landing pad, and then Fives signals  _ all clear,  _ so Rex eases himself the last few meters and, gritting his teeth, shifts his grip to the edge of the landing pad, pulls himself partway up and lets Fives help him the rest of the way. He gets to his feet, glances around, and, seeing nothing, leans over to grab Dogma’s hand and help him up too.

“Thanks, sir,” Dogma says, quiet.

“Sure,  _ vod.”  _ Rex claps his shoulder, nods at Tup and Jesse as Fives and Akaan help them up. “Alright, boys, I want thermal detonators against the base of the landing pad, the bay doors, the weaponry, all of it. Use your best judgement and be fast.” He goes on comms with Ahsoka, slinging his own pack off his back and striding over to a mounted cannon; the weaponry out here isn’t manned, at the moment, probably because it’s early and they expect to hear from the troops in the trenches long before they needed their nearer defenses. “General Tano, we made it to the loading dock and we’re setting our detonators now.”

_ “Alright, Rex. We just finished setting ours, contact me when you get back to your force.” _

“Yes, sir.” Rex cuts off the comm with a small smile, starts connecting detonators to the blaster cannon’s base and the area around it, setting them for remote trigger. There’s also a supporting strut here, jutting from the landing pad to the biodome itself; Rex leans over the edge (not paying attention to how high off the ground he is) to set more detonators against the strut so it’s damaged, if not entirely disconnected.

They rig up explosives wherever they think is wise, then Rex hikes his pack back over his shoulders and signals for them to begin the rappel back down to the ground.

~~~

Ahsoka and Echo don't take long to put together a squad for the stealth op; she leaves Echo to gather up Beta, Sneak, Snitch, and Grapevine while she discusses the last of the logistics with Bo-Katan.

“Once we call in the attack, Jak will take his squad to the fourth exit and wait there,” Bo-Katan says, and that has to be good enough, and it makes sense, so Ahsoka nods.

“Comm when you're on your way back to the battalion,” she says, then turns and heads over to her small squad. “You boys ready to go?”

“Yes, sir,” Echo says, and she grins at him.

“Then let's do this.”

Thankfully, they still have the protection of darkness, which makes it easier to sneak across the open plain, ducking down into the trenches at times, fighting as little as possible- Ahsoka does her best to keep her lightsabers off, not wanting their distinctive glow to reveal her location. They only meet a small amount of resistance, which thankfully means they make it to the main platform undetected.

It's almost _ easy _ to slip in among the blaster cannons, plant charges all along their bases, to attach detonators to crates and structural supports and really any solid surface. Her squad is on their way down the biodome, back to her half of the battalion, when Rex's comm comes in, letting her know he's on his platform and planting his charges. Good, that's good. Everything's going according to plan.

They sneak out the same way they got in, receiving a comm from the mando squad that they've completed their end of things, and are just getting back to where the transports have been hidden, full and ready to take off, when Rex comms to say he and his men are in position.

Ahsoka holds up her detonator, says, “Three, two, one, light ‘em up,” with a little grin, presses the button (can imagine Rex doing the same), and against the half-light of dawn there's searing _ light, _ fire blossoming across the platforms, smoke thick and black in the air.

“Time to go,” she tells the battalion on comms, hops into her transport and holds on.

They're going to do this.

~~~

The transports set Rex and his half of the battalion (Torrent Company, a squad of Mandos, and some four hundred-odd troopers) at the entrances to the loading docks, amid the wreckage of the landing pad, which is listing worryingly towards the ground below. Rex can hear alarms blaring in the city and on the plain behind them, and the sounds of fighter engines shrieking in the distance but getting nearer, and ignores both things. The squadleader of the Mandalorians, a woman named Medi, comes to march shoulder to shoulder with him and Jesse; she knows her way around, so he’d asked her to help him pick the best routes through the city.

They have blasters up walking into the city, keep the cover that the blown doorway and the scattered wreckage among the buildings provides - there’s a smattering of blasterfire, sporadic, but no major resistance waiting for them. The smoke just ghosts silent, light over the streets, dissipating among the buildings. Rex holds up his hand to signal  _ slow,  _ takes light, hesitating steps into the street, Jesse dead quiet at his shoulder.

“That street’s the most direct route to the center of the city,” Medi says, quietly, gesturing forward, and Rex nods.

“I don’t want the most direct route. Got a better option?”

Medi hesitates, and another burst of blasterfire, more organized this time, hails down on them. Rex waves his men forward a little faster, raises his blaster and catches sight of a red helmet, fires back as his troops do too. They have space for a bit, yet, he thinks, so he nods at Medi and steps up his pace. His  _ vode’s  _ footsteps, in time, shatter the quiet left after the explosion.

“We should take these side streets,” Medi says. “They’re narrower, but if we split the force up a bit we can cut through and follow the main thoroughfare. We’ll just have more cover this way.”

Rex considers, for a second, then nods. “You take your squad and a company, find the best way you can. Keep in touch, I wanna know where you’re at so we can reinforce you if we need to.”

Medi salutes, and Rex goes on helmet comms, orders Torrent Company to split off with him from the rest of the troops. “Remember we’re trying to minimize civilian casualties. Stay sharp.” Then he signals  _ forward march  _ and leads them down one of the wider streets off the main road, his men moving into a tight, defensive formation.

They’re marching brisk, and although occasionally there’s more enemy fire from above, their response (the whole company firing nearly as one) seems enough to keep those attacks to the areas of the street where there isn’t as much cover for Rex’s force. They meet one resistance force on the streets, and make fairly short work of them; Medi comms for an update and Rex tells her they had the situation handled.

He’s beginning to distrust the fact that they haven’t met more organized forces yet, and although he suspects there will be more resistance against Ahsoka’s half of the battalion than his (since she's a Jedi, and Bo-Katan is with her), he ends up signalling for his men to slow down, sends the order on comms to take it easy for a while.

Medi says she has nothing on her end, either, but Rex doesn’t quite like that. It may be that Maul’s just pulled the bulk of his forces back to the center of the city and the palace, where he can hold his ground better, but Rex doesn’t  _ know,  _ so caution.

With the slower march comes a bit of quiet, a tension, no more talk on helmet comms, and in the bit of stillness, it’s easy to pick out and recognize a beat that starts soft and quickly grows louder: marching feet and orders barked out in indistinguishable Mando’a.

Rex doesn’t even have to give Torrent an order; they shift into a basic defense formation, covering both ends of the street. Rex lifts his blasters, backs up close to his  _ vode  _ and comms Medi.

“You hearing this?”

_ “Yeah, seeing it too,”  _ Medi says, tightly.  _ “Could use some reinforcements.” _

“On it.” Rex cuts off the comm.

There’s a reason they didn’t get far from Medi’s position, so it’s a short sprint down the street and they cut across a couple blocks of shops, spurred on by the sounds of a fight beginning, the first shrieks of blasterfire and the marching feet dissolving into a chaos of shouting and bodies hitting the ground. Then they follow a tight alley out into the middle of the battle itself, Rex’s men clashing with Maul’s in a small square hung with banners painted with propaganda.

Rex fires into the mess, pushes past one of his  _ vode  _ to find Medi, with Jesse and Dogma at his back. “Looks like a trap,” he says, sharp, and Jesse laughs a little.

“Sure hope not, sir.”

Rex shrugs, catches sight of Medi’s armor and starts working his way towards her, without a pause in his shooting. “No kidding.”

It’s at that point, as Torrent Company bolsters their defense, that something shifts in their opponents’ line and they drive their attacks harder, sharper. Rex is still further back in the force, though, so the shift doesn’t immediately affect him, and he keeps firing fast and steady but he has a clear line of sight over the battle still, sees the reason for the shift in the fight sooner than most of them do.

Red on black, cybernetic legs and fierce, burning eyes, too bright in a smiling face. The hum of a saber powering on cuts through the clamor of battle, and the red light reflects off armor and the Sith’s eyes.

Maul.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We warned you guys to strap yourselves in. We weren't kidding. If you would like to join us behind the communal couch with our very large pot of potato and bacon and cheese soup, we would be happy to have you. We can't promise to share the blankets though.

Ahsoka jumps off the transport onto the main landing platform, Bo-Katan and Echo close with her, pulling her sabers as she goes. It's hard to see clearly with all the smoke and flames, but she doesn't _ think _ there are any hostiles here- still, she leaves two squads of men to hold the doors, just in case, and then signals the rest of her companies forward. They press through the entrance to the city and jump down into the lower levels, where the streets are close and narrower and maze-like and there's more opportunity for ambush (but also more cover).

And there's still no sign of resistance.

Ahsoka knows,  _ knows, _ that Maul isn't going to just hand the city over to them without a fight, so where is he? Where are his troops?

There's a brief smattering of blasterfire behind her, and she spins, shifting defensive, sees the _ all clear _ signal being passed up the line, and they're too obvious and too strung-out this way. “We need to split up,” she says, and Bo-Katan nods.

“My warriors will do some aerial recon and find out where his troops are hiding,” the mando says, jerking her shoulders in some weird way that ignites the jetpack on her back. “I'll be on comms to help navigate.”

“Thank you, Bo-Katan,” Ahsoka says, and then she turns to Echo. “Take Current, follow some side streets, see if you can find our enemy.”

“Yes, sir!” Echo turns, probably going on their helmet comms, and about a third of her force splits away with him.

And they press onwards.

Bo-Katan says they're engaging much more of the enemy in the upper levels, which makes sense, and then she cuts off mid-sentence and  _ swears, _ says,  _ “Well, I found them. You're about to walk into a trap.” _

That's when she hears the beeping.

“Get _ down!” _

Ahsoka hits the ground right as the buildings on either side of them, all down the way they just came from, explode outwards with a rush of sound and heat and _ pressure, _ and she can barely breathe, can't quite hear over the ringing in her montrals, but the Force says _ they're coming _ so she shoves herself up, somehow, twists to take note- more men down than she'd hoped for, but it could've been worse.

And the enemy finally comes, then, pouring out of the shattered buildings like water from a burst dam, and Ahsoka ignites her sabers and pushes everything unessential _ down, _ and leaps forward into the fray.

There's one good thing, here.

They haven't seen Maul.

Somewhere in the middle of all of it, Ahsoka's wristcomm pings; she answers and it's the mando with Rex, Medi.  _ “General, we need reinforcements, it's- bad over here.” _

“I don't think I can get anything over to you,” Ahsoka says, deflecting a pair of blaster bolts back at the mando who fired them. “It's intense over here right now.”

_ “Sir, we're taking heavy losses, we need-” _

The comm cuts off, goes to just background static, and Ahsoka frowns. “Medi? Medi, come in.”

There's nothing. Just silence.

And then, cutting through the white noise of battle is the distinctive sound of a saber.  _ No. _ No, that can't be right- Ahsoka fumbles with her comm (ducks under an attack from a mando in red armor), snaps out, “Rex, come in, what's going _ on _ over there?”

~~~

Rex calls for a retreat as soon as Maul steps into the square, but by that point it’s too late. His forces are boxed in, and the surrounding streets are too narrow; his men are scattered and spread thin enough as it is. Maul wastes no time stepping into the fray, cuts down five  _ vode  _ before Rex can blink, and Rex swears and orders the retreat again, sees Medi shouting into her wristcomm, only for a series of blaster bolts to slam into her chest and she falls.

Gods  _ damn it. _

Rex grabs the nearest  _ vod,  _ shoves him toward one of the side streets. “Run,” he growls. “We don’t have a good position here, no use trying to hold it.” 

_ “Rex, come in, what’s going  _ **_on_ ** _ over there?” _ It’s Ahsoka, and Rex quickly taps his comm, keeps shooting with one hand when he answers. (He doesn’t bother shooting at Maul like his  _ vode  _ are, he knows he won’t be able to get past his guard.)

“We need reinforcements,  _ now,” _ Rex snaps. “Maul decided to make an appearance over here.”

_ “Shit. Get the hells out of there, Rex, I can’t get to you. We’re in trouble over here too.” _

“Working on it. We’ll try to join up with you.” Rex cuts off his comm and pushes towards their opponents, trying to help his forces hold the line long enough to manage an efficient retreat. He doesn’t even know where they can draw back to, but at least they need to get space between themselves and the Death Watch and  _ Maul. _

There just isn’t  _ time;  _ Maul is too fast and precise and close, and he just keeps  _ smiling  _ as Rex’s  _ vode  _ are dying, so many of them. He’s a blur of motion and violence, the red saber blade laying Rex’s men out like so many broken toys, helpless. Still, the companies are escaping out of the square in a rush, and Rex grabs Jesse and Tup by the shoulders and pushes them down a side street with a couple other troopers.

That’s when a frantic shout comes over helmet comms, sharp and fast,  _ “They’ve got our retreat blocked. We’re gonna have to fight.” _

Gods, they’ve got  _ no chance.  _ Rex swears, looks around at the men he has with him. Not enough, and the rest of Torrent and the squad of mandos is just as spread out. He’s going to have to try to get them to regroup somewhere, pull together a barricade or two and try to hold ground until… until what?

“Ahsoka,” he says, sharp, tuning his comm to her frequency again, “Come in, Ahsoka.” He waves his hand, signals for his men to move back down the street with him, careful, towards the fighting.

_ “I’m here, Rex.” _

“We’re surrounded over here, General. I’d take any troops you could spare.” It’s a stretch, asking again, but Rex doesn’t have anything to work with. He gets to the end of the street, glances back at his  _ vode. _ Jesse, Tup, Dogma, Fives, Ket, Dip, and Atlas. They need to get to the rest of their forces, they can’t be isolated here.

Ahsoka answers all in a rush.  _ “I’m trying to work my way to your position. We’ve been pinned down near city center and are taking heavy fire, and I lost contact with Echo’s company-”  _ There’s a short pause, and Rex adjusts the comm feed to go to his helmet because Maul’s forces are closing in again and he doesn’t want to give away his position with so few troops behind him.  _ “Just hold out for a few more minutes, I think we can make a break for it-  _ **_shit!”_ ** The comm crackles and then there’s a dull, cracking boom over the frequency before the sound shorts out, and Rex’s heart stops and he swears, taps his wristcomm and tries to get Ahsoka back; her line just crackles with static.

Oh gods.

“What’re we gonna do, Rex?” Jesse asks.

That’s a damn good question. Especially if Ahsoka- Especially if reinforcements aren’t coming.

Rex looks up again, out at the streets, refocuses on the sounds of the battle, and there’s so much  _ screaming. _ They need to get to their  _ vode,  _ but the fighting’s all right in front of them, only the Death Watch forces visible from here, so he waves them back down their street to try to circle around to the rest of his men.

They find the main bulk of Rex’s men fighting some streets down, the Death Watch mandos on two sides and Maul still at their head, carving into the 501st’s ranks so they can’t set up a proper defense. Rex throws up a fist and stops his men before they can rush into the battle, against his better judgement, because he needs to analyze this.

_ “Still here,”  _ and Ahsoka’s voice forces a sharp sigh of relief out of him, and he can focus a little better on the battlefield (on screaming brothers and the fact that he and seven men cannot possibly make a difference in that fight),  _ “Sorry, grenade.” _

“Good,” Rex says, distracted, quiet, dread settling cold in his stomach as he eyes the battle, setting a hand on Jesse’s shoulder when his  _ vod _ starts forward again. There are too many of the Death Watch, flooding the streets in their red armor, more all the time, with better armor and better weapons and a  _ Sith  _ at their head. These warriors are fresh, and on the offensive, and Rex doesn’t have enough men to face them and the streets are too narrow and the bodies of his  _ vode  _ are beginning to pile against the buildings, under the feet of the combatants.

His forces have already lost, he can see it - really they did as soon as Maul showed up.

Two of his oldest  _ vode  _ go down in a hail of a blaster shots, and Akaan pushes forward to fill the gap they left, firing on Maul.

“Rex, what the  _ kriff?”  _ Jesse says, sharply, and Rex shakes his head, pulls Jesse back behind him. Maul cuts the heads off two more brothers and one of Akaan’s shots takes him in the shoulder. Quick as a nexu, Maul lashes out, pulling a second saber off his belt and igniting it through Akaan’s chest; the blade is black and not-right and Rex backs up, feeling sick.

“Retreat.”

_ “What?” _

“You heard me. Now.” One of their junior medics, Ged, is trying to pull Akaan behind their lines and Maul kills him, too, with a careless swipe of his red saber, and Rex swallows, grits his teeth and turns, shoving Jesse. “Come on, we can’t help them. We need to go.”

Fives swears, but Rex grabs his pauldron and marches him a few steps away from the conflict.

“Don’t even think about arguing with me,  _ vod.  _ We’re gonna find shelter and wait this out.” Wait for them all to be dead so Maul and his troops will move on.

Fives hesitates, then nods, and Rex leads them back down the street, as far as they can get, finds a broken-down door and orders them  _ inside. _

It’s a house, who knows who it belongs to; the eight of them rush up the stairs without meeting any other sentients, duck into a spare room, and Rex closes the door, holsters one of his blasters and reroutes his wristcomm so any calls go to his helmet feed, where no one else will hear them.

“Sit down,” he says, “and stay clear of the windows. We’re laying low here, understood?”

Tup tugs off his helmet to reveal a horror-stricken face, and Rex leans back against the wall of the room by the door, jaw clenched so tight it hurts.

“We can’t just… sit here,” Atlas says, uncertain.

“It’s this or we all die too.” Rex tightens his hand around his blaster and counts four beats for every breath. “You’re welcome to take the other option if you want.”

He can still hear his  _ vode  _ screaming.

~~~

The grenade that briefly knocks out comms takes out an entire squad of troopers who were just too close to the bomb for Ahsoka to do anything to save them. As it is, she barely manages to contain the blast long enough for herself and the troopers behind her to get away; she's sick and choking and everything _ screams _ (because this has gone so very wrong, she _ needed _ the extra battalions, how's she supposed to do this?), but the grenade caused enough chaos she can get herself and what's left of her men out onto another street with more cover. And when there's cover, they can at least fight back without getting _ slaughtered. _

They need to get to the city center, at _ least, _ if no further. Rex _ needs her. _

She's so kriffing _ close. _

Bo-Katan swoops in and dispatches a few of the Death Watch soldiers, and Ahsoka tosses her a tired, grateful salute as she returns to the air, adjusts her comm to Rex's frequency again, hoping beyond hope for- something. She's not sure what.

“Rex, what's your status?”

_ “I had to retreat,” _ he says, short and sharp.  _ “I don't think most of my men are going to make it out.” _

No. Oh,  _ no. _ “Force,” she whispers, trying not to choke on the _ everything. _ “I'm almost to the city center, try to- try to make it to my position if you can, but your priority is survival right now.”

_ “Understood,” _ he says,  _ so _ brusque, and she swallows and tunes her wristcomm to Echo's frequency, hoping to maybe get something from him now that they're out of the heaviest fire.

“Echo, come in. Do you read me?”

There's a long second of silence, then:  _ “I read you, General. My men and I are making our way around to the city center from the north.” _

Thank the _ Force. _ Ahsoka lets out a long breath, tries to shove away the knowledge of _ Torrent Company, _ of her battalion's best, who are dying under Maul’s saber right now (because of her). “I need you to take some men and locate Rex. Get him and whoever else managed to get out of that death trap back over with our main forces. Leave-” and here she hesitates, her throat closing on the awful orders, “-leave the wounded, and stay out of any active fighting. There's nothing any of you can do against Maul.”

_ “Copy that,” _ and she's not sure if she's imagining the tremor in his voice- probably not.  _ “Good luck, General.” _

“Thanks,” she says tiredly, doesn't say that there's no such thing as luck, because the Force isn't with them today.

She's going to have to fight Maul. Alone.

She's lost over half her men today, in this one battle.

(And, like a whisper, insidious, she hears Tarkin humming, silken-smooth and so smug,  _ How many units have you lost?) _

(The answer will always and forever be _ too many.) _

The fighting is less intense, more scattered attacks, as she and the 300-odd men with her advance to the city center, a wide-open square that certainly once used to be stunningly beautiful, but is now a wreck of smoke and ash and flame. She signals a halt, watches from the mouth of the street they're clustered in, looking for any signs of the enemy. She can _ feel _ them nearby, but there's too many Force signatures (most belonging to civilians) to tell where they are with any exactness.

So she's restricted to her eyes and her montrals to figure out what's going on.

She's just eased a few steps out into the square when there's the sound of sabers igniting, and she thumbs her own on instinctively, settles into a defensive stance and narrows her eyes, studying the edges of the square in the direction she knows Maul will be coming from. She can't see his saber, why can't she? It should be easy to find in all this-

The Force _ shouts _ and she twists out of the way, sabers snapping out over her head to block as the Sith jumps _ off the roof _ behind her and slams two sabers (his lurid red one and a strange, whining one that's utterly black with little white lines flickering around the edges) into her own. “There you are,” she growls, ducking out from underneath his sabers and spinning to face him. “You're going to  _ pay _ for this.”

“No, Padawan Tano, I won't,” Maul says, and she _ snarls, _ lunges at him fast.

“It's _ Knight,” _ Ahsoka hisses, flips away from his counterattack, ducks the red saber and scythes her green one at his gut. He blocks,  _ so  _ easily, and shoves her away with a burst of Force. She tumbles to the ground, hits _ hard, _ has to struggle to get her bearings back fast enough because he's on top of her again. 

“Hmm, they must be really running low on Jedi if they Knighted _ you,” _ Maul says, and Ahsoka flips herself to her feet and _ over _ him, lands in a crouch and lunges, and then he's sweeping her sabers aside and nearly getting in too close but she pushes him back. Has to go on the defensive because her offense leaves her too exposed and he's so  _ skilled _ and powerful and she doesn't know how she's going to do this.

He moves so _ fast _ it's hard to keep up, and she tries to duck back out of the way, except there's something behind her, a bucket or something, and it tangles in her feet and she _ falls, _ and oh no, she has to get _ up, right now, Ahsoka, get up, _ she does, stumbles to her feet again but she's too _ slow _ and one of Maul's massive metal legs _ slams _ into her side and she's thrown against a low rock wall, sabers flying from her hands to clatter to the ground.

No. No.  _ Up. _

Maul is coming and it's hard to see him, everything's blurry in her vision and she can't breathe, there's pain echoing down her spine and it _ aches _ and she can't, can't, can't-

“Hey, ugly!  _ Over here!” _

Maul turns away and that's enough of a distraction to let her pull her sabers to her hands, and Ahsoka levers herself to her knees in time to see the Sith advancing on  _ Brii, _ standing proud and tall and firing one-two-three-four and oh hells no he _ can't, _ he's going to-

She needs to _ focus. _

Her sabers ignite but Maul isn't turning so she rushes for him, but he's so _ close _ to Brii now and he's going to _ kill him _ and she can't, she can't let that happen, she- She lunges forward and without even _ looking _ Maul blocks both her sabers with his red one and _ stabs _ the darksaber forward.

And someone (Alpha) shouts,  _ “Brii!” _

There's a blur of motion and someone screaming, and it takes a moment to resolve into Brii tumbling to the ground and the darksaber cutting deep into Alpha’s side, oh _ no _ he can't, and she lets out a horrified shout and doesn't let herself think, just  _ pushes, _ sends Maul flying to the ground a few meters away. She Force-jumps so she's nearly on _ top _ of him, but doesn't go for his body; instead she exes her saber blades together and cuts completely through one durasteel leg.

He shoves her away again but he can't get _ up _ and so she just flips with the Force of it all and lands (shaky and crying) on her feet, stalks towards the fallen Sith.

She could arrest him now.

_ (Look what he's done to your men, to you. Your fault, but his doing. He doesn't deserve your mercy. Kill him.) _

She could.

She doesn't.

Her lightsabers separate his head from his body (and even _ he _ can't recover from that) and there's silence in the streets, and Alpha is on the ground with a hole in his side and she doesn't know what's happened to Rex and everything is _ awful. _

_ (Your fault.) _

~~~

Rex and his  _ vode  _ don’t even talk to each other until everything has been dead quiet for some twenty standard minutes. Then Rex gets to his feet from where he’s sat down by the door of the room and goes to the only window the room boasts, looks outside. He can’t see anything except a few nervous droids and civilians stepping out onto the street to look around at all the bodies on the ground, blue and red and white.

“Looks clear,” Rex says, tiredly. “We need to try to regroup with Ahsoka.”

“You haven’t heard anything from her?” Fives asks.

“No.” Rex doesn’t know what that means, doesn’t want to think about it. “She said to try to get to the city center. So we need to go.”

Ket has taken off his helmet, set it by his legs, and all of them are quietly pretending that he’s not crying, except for Tup, who has a hand on his shoulder. Dogma hasn’t taken his helmet off, although he’s sitting close enough to Tup that their shoulders brush.

“Do you think they can stop him?” Atlas asks.

They’re all looking at Rex, and Rex turns away from the window, draws his blasters and checks their sights. “They’ll be fine,” he says, firmly. “We need to move,  _ vode.” _

Fives gets to his feet, helps Dip to his feet. Tup helps up Ket, and of course Jesse’s just been pacing this entire time. Atlas and Dogma get up, and Fives looks over at Rex as their other  _ vode  _ put their helmets back on. “Lead the way, sir.”

Rex nods once, pushes back out of the room and heads down the stairs, his brothers following him. They step out onto the street, and Rex looks around for a second at all the burned, crumpled, broken bodies along the road, and the civilians staring at him and then rushing back into their houses, and then he looks ahead towards the center of the city and steps over one of the dead troopers.

They follow the main road, now, clustered tight together with weapons drawn, until they leave behind all the bodies, and have picked up their pace to a brisk march when there’s more sounds of booted feet, and Rex quickly signals his men to take cover; he himself steps back into a doorway, holds his blasters up, his heart pounding in his chest.

But when he looks back around the corner, it’s  _ Echo  _ with a squad, and Rex goes back out to see him, stifles the surge of relief that threatens to crack his self-control.

Fives jolts out from behind his cover and hurries over to Echo, grabs him hard like he wants to make sure he’s actually alive. Rex walks with the other men to join up with the squad, and Echo pulls away from Fives enough to look at him.

“What  _ happened,  _ sir?”

“Maul happened. We got surrounded.”

“The General sent us to find you all,” Echo says, then hesitates, says carefully, “Is there… anyone else?”

“No.” Rex looks around, quickly. “We need to get back to Ahsoka.”

“I know.” Echo sounds shaky, but he nods. “Let’s go.”

They start walking down the street, and Rex is glad to have more men with them now. Everything is  _ so quiet. _ He wants to get this campaign over with, and he needs to know Ahsoka is alright.

As if in answer to his thoughts, Echo’s comm goes off, and he answers with a terse, “Echo here.”

It’s Ahsoka, very short and tired and flat.  _ “Change of plans, Echo. Once you get to the survivors, head back to the main landing platform. Maul is dead, the Death Watch survivors have been taken prisoner, and Bo-Katan is in charge of the city for now - we’re going back to camp.” _

Thank the little gods. “Yes sir,” Echo says, then cuts off the comm. “I know the way, Commander, I can get us there.”

“Good.” Rex holsters one of his blasters and walks shoulder to shoulder with Echo towards safety again.

~~~

It hadn't taken long to make the arrangements with Bo-Katan for temporary control of the city. Sniper is with the wounded, including Alpha (Brii is with him too, and Beta, and Brii is crying and Beta is just stone), and the Death Watch are willingly giving themselves over to be taken prisoner. They need to go back to the camp, to eat something _ hot _ for the first time in a couple weeks and to treat the wounded and to _ breathe. _

And grieve.

So she comms Echo with his orders and makes for the main landing platform, her able-bodied troopers helping with the wounded who can't walk. It's a slow procession back to the landing platform, and Ahsoka helps organize them getting into the transports.

She _ should _ wait for Echo and Rex and whoever else is still alive, but there're _ so many _ dead and she doesn't even know all of them, and it's _ her fault, _ this was her plan and it went so terribly wrong. So. So she can't bring herself to have to stay and look them all in the eye. 

She gets on a transport and hangs on tight to the overhead straps as they fly back to camp, can't look at her men. This is her fault, her fault they lost everyone. How the Council could've thought she'd be ready for a General position, she doesn't know.

Once the transport lands back at the camp, she helps Sniper get some of the worst wounded back to Kix, then leaves before he can say anything to her- she's _ fine, _ other than being thrown into a wall, and she doesn't want to see the look on his face when he realizes just what _ happened _ and- and- and how many they lost.

She needs to comm the Council, let them know that they've taken the planet, at least, but- she has to. So she sighs and leaves the med tent, heads over to the command one and presses a few buttons on the holotable, rubbing at her eyes.

_ “Knight Tano,” _ Mace Windu says, sounds pleasantly surprised, and she swallows hard.  _ “We weren't expecting to hear from you this soon. What's going on?” _

“Mandalore is ours,” she says, tired and aching and trying to hide it. “Maul is dead and Bo-Katan is in control of the city for now, like we discussed. I… lost a lot of men out there, we don't know how many yet. It was a difficult battle.”

_ “Indeed, it sounds that way. Is there anything else you can tell us at this time?” _

“All due respect, Master Windu, but we just got back to camp and there's a lot to be done, still. Can it wait until we're offworld- or until we've counted the casualties, at the very least?”

_ “Of course,” _ Windu says, bowing his head.  _ “Thank you for taking the time to report in. May the Force be with you.” _

“And with you,” she says, inclining her head respectfully before cutting the comm off.

But despite what she just told Windu, Ahsoka has no intention of being around her men right now. They need time to grieve… without her being around. This was _ her fault, _ she as good as killed their brothers, and-

She doesn't want to see the look in Rex's eyes when he gets back.

So she goes to her tent, sits down and stares at the wall, tries to meditate- but the Force eludes her, today, is too thick and choked with _ loss, _ and she swallows and shivers a little, feels a tear tracing down her cheek.

_ How many units have you lost? _

_ (You keep losing them and losing them, and how long until they all hate you for it- rightfully?) _

~~~

Word spreads like fire through the camp and what’s left of the battalion, about what has happened to Torrent Company and all the others, how many brothers they’ve lost, some six or seven hundred, when Rex hears from all his  _ vode,  _ and that’s so many names, so many lost.

When he lost his battalion on Christophsis, years ago, he’d been naive enough to promise himself he’d never let that happen again. It was right after that that he lost them all again on Teth, and he’d learned not to make himself promises like that anymore, because he did all he could and it still wasn’t enough, and the promise only made it worse.

Still, he’d hoped not to lose so many again, when Umbara happened, but now here he was again. Now he’s too tired to think much about how this isn’t fair, how he just wanted to protect all of them - instead he just burns, deep and weary, so he goes between his  _ vode  _ in the camp, hears them tell him their names and how many of their own they’re missing now.

They start walking with him, of course they do, because all of them are helmetless and shaken and exhausted, and they need to say their brothers’ names. They have to, because they’ve never learned any other way to grieve, to make up for leaving brothers behind, to make up for living when everyone else is dead.

That’s how all of them that are left end up in the middle of the camp, hands on each other’s shoulders so nobody’s unconnected, and it ends up being Rex who has to start the names, who has to think over the list of brothers that his men told him, so many that they blur together, and take a deep breath and shout out his names, one at a time until slowly everyone around him joins in with their own. They are all angry, because this time it was not them who killed their  _ vode,  _ this time they were taken from them and so they shout, cling to each other and stamp their feet and roar out all the names of their lost until Rex has no more and goes silent himself, waits for the rest of them to be quiet too. Then it’s his job to say the remembrance for the ones they forget, because there will always be some, and then they all stand for a moment in the silence.

Fives grabs Rex’s shoulder, presses their foreheads together, and goes; Brii and Beta rush away from the  _ vode  _ and Sniper comes up to Rex, eyes hollow. “Kix wanted me to make sure the General checks in with him,” he says, tiredly. “We didn’t think she would. And… Well, sir, I think some of the wounded want to see both of you. It’d help.”

“I’ll go find her,” Rex sighs, touches Sniper’s shoulder.  _ “Nu kyr’adyc, shi taab’echaaj’la.” _

“I know.”

Rex forces a small smile and goes back to he and Ahsoka’s tent to find her. He wants her.

~~~

Ahsoka is startled out of her attempt at meditation (if it could even be called an _ attempt) _ by Rex walking into their tent, his helmet tucked under his arm. He looks _ exhausted. _

“Kix wants us in the medbay, ‘Soka,” he says, quiet.

She can't meet his eyes. “I'm fine, I'm not injured, but you should go.”

“Kix wanted you specifically,” he says, damn it. “And Sniper says the wounded want to see you, too.”

She shrugs a little. “I'll go see them in a bit, I need to debrief the Council.” Like she hasn't already told them what she can.

“Ahsoka,  _ please _ just come with me,” he says, voice breaking just a little, and she swallows, closes her eyes.

“I- okay,” she says, soft, pushes herself to her feet, still not looking at him. “Let's go, then.”

He doesn't reach for her hand, and she doesn't take his. He probably- she doesn't know. But he lost _ so many _ and that was her fault, entirely. She kriffed this all up, so-

Her fault.

_ (Your fault.) _

~~~

There’s an entirely different sort of tension over Kix’s medical tent and the area of the camp where they’ve laid out the wounded on bedrolls and stretchers on the ground. The junior medics that survived are  _ running,  _ back and forth, just trying to stabilize everyone, and Sniper is in the middle of a  _ surgery,  _ and Kix is crouched over Alpha, hand extended over his torso.

Ahsoka seems hesitant to walk through the rows of wounded, so Rex sets his hand on her lower back, nudges her forward so they can talk to Kix when he’s done. Alpha doesn’t look good, at all, and Brii and Beta are hovering nearby, Brii twisting his hands together very hard. Rex swallows and walks over with Ahsoka (she’s staring at the ground, not even at Alpha), takes a few steps away from Ahsoka to wordlessly put an arm around Brii and pull his shaking  _ vod’ika  _ against his chest.

He goes back to his Jedi’s side and puts his hand back against her spine and sighs, waits till Kix pulls his hand back and pushes himself upright, swaying a bit.

“Rex,” he says, a bit raspy. “You brought the General. Good.” He comes over, grabs Ahsoka’s wrist and Rex nods to himself, because there’s a wound in her arm that she’s either ignoring or hasn’t noticed; he knows which option he hopes it is. “So were you planning to come see me about this?” Kix asks, tersely.

Ahsoka looks down at her upper arm, which has a  _ piece of metal in it,  _ and blinks. “The kriff?” She looks back at Kix with a small shrug. “I didn’t know that was there.”

“Well, come on. I’ll take care of that real quick.” Kix rubs his hands together, glances at Rex. “Where are you hurt?”

“I’m not.”

Kix narrows his eyes at him, but seems to believe him, so he turns back to Ahsoka. “Come on, sit down over there.” He points at a clear spot on the ground, sharply.

“Kix, you need to be careful,” Ahsoka says, quietly.

Rex should be more concerned than he is, he thinks, about all of them but her especially. He’s just so  _ tired,  _ he can’t  _ think. _

“I am being careful,” Kix snaps. “But I’m all we’ve got right now, so this is the best I can do.  _ Sit. Down.” _

Rex almost sits himself, which means Kix is drawing on the Force again. He tends to do that when he gets upset. Ahsoka herself sits down with a sigh, looking as tired as he feels. “Okay, but there’s no need to use the Force on this, alright? Just get the shrapnel out. Bacta and a bandage will hold fine until we get back to Coruscant. You can’t afford to waste energy on minor injuries.”

“I’ll decide what’s worth spending my energy on,” Kix says, short, then sighs slowly and shakes his head. “But I wasn’t going to use the Force unless it was worse than it seemed.”

Rex rubs a hand over his head, the claw scars and his hair that’s getting too long, watches Kix work carefully at Ahsoka’s arm, the gentle way he’s dealing with her injury not quite matching the exhausted frown of concentration on his face. Rex wants to go sleep, curl around Ahsoka and not think about anything so they can leave this gods-forsaken place and he can see his other  _ vode  _ and his General and it won’t be so immediate anymore.

So when Kix ties off a bandage around her arm, tells her to  _ please take it easy,  _ and starts to go back to work on Alpha, Rex reaches out to offer her a hand up, hoping they can just go back to their tent now. She takes his hand, lets him help her up, but then she stops and looks at Alpha, chewing on her bottom lip a little.

“Can I help heal him?”

Kix sighs, slowly, and shakes his head. “The best help you can be right now is to just go rest, sir. I'm being careful, I promise.”

Rex frowns a little, both because he doesn't  _ entirely  _ believe Kix and because Ahsoka just nods and actually  _ does as Kix says. _ Not really a simple thing, usually. “Let's go sleep,” he says, quietly, leaving his hand in hers and giving her fingers a light squeeze. “Come on.”

~~~

“Okay,” Ahsoka says, quietly, although she's still- she's not sure what to think. She _ wants _ to just, just flat-out ask him,  _ who died, how many are dead, _ but she's terrified of the truth, of _ knowing. _ Of seeing the _ blame _ in his eyes.

Because this tragedy is entirely her fault, this time. There's no one else to lay that on. She did it. She made the plan, and this is what happened.

They don't say anything on the way back to their tent, or even once they go inside; Ahsoka sits down, Rex next to her, and she starts working at her armor, pulling the pieces off, careful of the ache in her arm. She doesn't know what to _ say. _

“Who'd we lose?” she asks, finally, voice hoarse, pulling her headdress off and turning it around and around in her fingers.

She's so _ exhausted. _

Rex shrugs, a little, working at his own armor, stacking it neatly next to the bedroll- almost  _ too _ neatly. “Torrent. Everyone else with me, I guess. Ty and Creo. And, I'm sorry, ‘Soka, I lost Akaan, too.”

_ No. _

She shakes her head a little in disbelief, tightens her fingers on her headdress until she thinks it's going to cut her palms. “Oh,” she says, hollow, thinks for a moment she's going to cry but everything's too empty and cold for that.  _ (Your fault, your fault, your fault.) _ “I'm- sorry.” The words are meaningless.

Her fault.

_ Akaan. _ She remembers him, flushing and trying to pretend he wasn't at her birthday party, handing her the carved dire-cat and saying he'd made it for her. Remembers his impressive knowledge of swears and how he would try to censor himself around her, even though she's not a child anymore.  _ Akaan. _

Force.

She's surprised by Rex tugging her into his arms, resting his chin between her montrals- it feels good, feels _ safe, _ and she closes her eyes and presses closer. “It's- it'll be okay,” he says, rough and sort of raspy, soothing a hand up and down her spine.

“I should've known he wouldn't stay in the palace,” she admits, feels so _ small, _ suddenly, and the tears she couldn't find a moment ago rise hot and choking and ashamed in her throat. (And guilty, always guilty.) “It's- my fault you lost them all.”  _ Again, _ because Umbara wasn't all that long ago, no one was really recovered.

“It's not,” he says, pulls back to tilt his forehead against hers and cup her cheek, rubbing his thumb softly across her cheekbone, and she doesn't understand how he's so-  _ warm. _ “But it's okay. I forgive you,  _ ner'jetii.” _

And he's just so- so warm and soft and _ close, _ and he doesn't hate her, there's no blame in his eyes even though there _ should be, _ and she can't hold the tears back any longer, and she leans forward to kiss him because she needs him, here, needs him to be _ real. _

It's all too much and she just wants this to be _ over. _

_ (He may not blame you, but it's still your fault.) _

~~~

Rex thinks he doesn’t ever want to let go of Ahsoka, so when she stops kissing him and leans back, he curls his hand over the back of her head and pulls her closer, so her forehead’s against his shoulder. Everything  _ aches  _ so much, he doesn’t know if it’s ever hurt like this before, so he’s just very glad that Ahsoka is close. Even though she’s sobbing, and she clearly blames herself for this, and Rex still has his names echoing in his head, so loud.

He rubs his fingers in firm circles over Ahsoka’s montrals, staring at the opposite wall of the tent without really seeing it. There’s just all the bodies again, projected on the stiff canvas, so many brothers in painted armor that they have to leave behind like all the rest.

If there were any wounded, he abandoned them there today. He hopes Bo-Katan and her people help them.

Eventually she stops sobbing so unevenly, and when she does she tightens her arms around him and chokes out, muffled, “Alpha- my fault.”

Rex frowns a little, looks down at her. Her montrals are so much taller, these days, the bands of color darker than they used to be and, he thinks, narrower. He likes the patterns. “What do you mean, ‘Soka, what happened?” He doesn’t think Alpha had looked good, but if Kix had thought he was going to lose him he wouldn’t have taken the time to treat Ahsoka’s arm himself. He would’ve had a junior medic do it, or Rex himself.

Ahsoka shivers a little. “Maul kicked me into a wall and I lost my lightsabers, and Brii ran out at him to distract him, and he was going to kill Brii except, except Alpha shoved him out of the way.” She takes a breath. “And he stabbed Alpha.”

“Ahsoka…” Rex sighs, slowly. “That’s not your fault, at all. If anything, that’s Alpha’s own fault.”

“He wouldn’t have gotten hurt if I was  _ better,”  _ she insists, and Rex snorts, although it’s not funny and he’s not even really amused. “And this was my plan, Rex. All of this - Anakin wouldn’t have had these losses, he would’ve-” She stops, shakes her head and holds on tighter to him.

“You know, Maul’s bested  _ General Kenobi  _ before,” Rex says, mildly, “I might be wrong, but I was under the impression it’d take some doing to be ‘better’ than him.” There’s some debate in the battalions about whose Generals are the best at what, but everyone agrees either General Windu or General Kenobi is the best with a lightsaber. None of them have really figured out how to argue over the Force stuff yet. “But… also, Ahsoka, I lost my entire battalion under Anakin, when you joined us. And half of them again just a few campaigns later. So… He’s had those losses. Just about every General has.” That doesn’t make it  _ okay,  _ but it  _ happens.  _ If it never did, if they never lost- Well, they’d have won by now. And Rex wouldn’t dislike the Force as much as he does because the Force would  _ definitely  _ be responsible for that kind of luck.

Ahsoka shakes her head a little, to Rex’s disappointment, and says, tired, “I could’ve- I should’ve done better.”

“We all thought it was a good plan and we did our best,” Rex says, lightly, swallowing and running his hand down her headtail. “It just… this- this happens, Ahsoka, but I’m sorry it was like this.”

“I shouldn’t be a General,” she says.

And really, she’s right, she shouldn’t be. She should be getting to learn things and have a normal (or, well, normal for a Jedi) life, but instead she’s here on Mandalore with him grieving some seven hundred dead men.

Rex doesn’t even know  _ what  _ he’d be if he wasn’t here, but she at least should have had some other option.

“You’re ready to be one,” he says firmly, weary. As ready as anybody could be, anyway. “Whether you should or shouldn’t be one, you’re this battalion’s General now, and we trust you.” He knows, he can tell, his  _ vode  _ are just concerned about her, not angry.

Ahsoka presses her face into the hollow of his shoulder and shifts so she’s leaning more against him. “I can’t do this again.”

Rex hums a little, sighs and tightens his arms around her. He says that every time, and then he keeps going.

“I'm so sorry,” he tells her, achy, finds he wants to cry. “None of this should've happened.” His throat hurts, is too tight, so he curls himself around Ahsoka and frees one hand to scrub tiredly at his face.

“I'm sorry too,” she says, constricted, voice cracking, and Rex shakes his head.

“I know. I forgive you, it's okay, let's-” He cuts off, swallows hard. “Let's just sleep, ‘'Soka.”

“Okay,” she whispers.

So Rex holds onto her and grabs the blanket of their bedroll, pulls it over both of them and lays down, tugging her with him so he can curl up around her with her back to his chest, and bury his face in her montrals when he starts to cry.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *drops this and runs*

The _ Resolute _ comes out of hyperspace over Mandalore the next day, Admiral Yularen at the helm, no sign of Anakin anywhere. She'd known, of course, that he's been put on probation, it's just- she needs him, her Master, right now.

Everyone's quiet, quieter than usual, as they break down their camp and load all the supplies up onto the ships Yularen sent down; the wounded are sent up on the transports first, the medics with them, and Ahsoka had told the Council the casualty number (which ended up being, officially, 659 for the entire campaign- an absolutely  _ monstrous _ number) but she's  _ terrified _ of seeing Yularen, the look on his face. They'll all know she's not fit to be a General or a Knight now, that she's not _ good enough, _ that she failed-

She can't look them in the eyes.

But it's easy enough to pretend, to give orders and act like that's good, like she belongs here  _ (it's not, you don't), _ and then she's finally hopping into one of the last transports with Rex and Fives and Echo, telling the pilot to take them up.

Thankfully, Yularen doesn't say much to her when she goes up onto the bridge, just says quietly that the cruiser’s been given extra water rations so that everyone can take water showers, and that she should tell her men and maybe go take one herself, and the rest. “If I may be frank, sir,” he says, looking her over, “you look like hell, and I'm afraid you'll collapse where you stand.”

She musters the energy to chuckle at that, says “Thanks, Admiral,” wryly, and nods gratefully at him before leaving the bridge. Comms Rex along the way to let him know, adds on that while the barracks showers have time limits,  _ hers _ does not, and gets priority of hot water, so if he _ wants… _

Rex really takes very little time to say he'd appreciate that, and he'll come by after he gets the men settled in, which makes sense. She takes her own shower with the water as hot as she can stand, scrubs at her skin until all the dirt and blood and everything else is gone and the water running off her skin and swirling down the drain is clear, then she dries herself off and pulls on some sweats and a fluffy shirt that someone (probably Anakin) was thoughtful enough to pack for her. Whoever it was left her blanket on the decently-sized  _ real bed _ the General's quarters gets, thank the _ Force, _ and she wraps herself up in it and sits and stares at nothing.

Rex comes in and takes a shower, puts on clean blacks and sits down with her; she wraps him up in her blanket too and they talk for a while, and then she kisses him (he's alive, she's alive, that's- it helps) and there's no more words.

They make it back to Coruscant and everyone's in an uproar, about Mandalore and about  _ Tusken raiders _ and _ all of them _ and  _ the women and children too, _ and Ahsoka can't look at _ anyone. _

~~~

Rex and Jesse get their men helping the  _ Resolute’s  _ crew unload and take stock of their supplies and munitions, and as many of them moving the wounded to the Coruscant medbay as quickly and carefully as possible. Kix doesn’t spare a glance even at Jesse; he’s still busy with Alpha.

General Kenobi and Anakin, with Je’kai and Cody behind them, come into the hangar as Rex is rejoining Ahsoka and giving her a quick report on the battalion; Rex takes one look at Anakin and is instantly concerned. His- the General looks exhausted, and terrified, and there are grey lines under his eyes and he’s not done a very good job shaving lately. If he’s been shaving at all. His hair’s kind of unkempt too (or more so than usual), and his robes untidy. Overall he just looks a mess.

General Kenobi has his hands clasped behind his back, with that small, concerned frown on his face that Rex thinks is generally a sign that he’s really, genuinely upset.

He and Ahsoka turn to face the two Generals, and Anakin bursts into a run, covering the distance between him and Ahsoka in long strides, nearly crashing into her so he can pull her into a hug, so tight, closing his eyes. Rex sighs, smiles a little because this is good for both his Generals.

Then Cody’s here, too, and Rex can tell he’s  _ angry,  _ and upset, and probably guilty again, but it still helps when Cody hooks an arm around his shoulder and presses their foreheads together.

“I’m sorry,  _ ori’vod,”  _ he says, and Rex sighs. Nods a little and pulls back.

Je’kai, who’s Anakin’s Commander now, just sort of inclines his head at Rex, and Rex tries to manage something like a smile in return. It falls flat, but then he thinks no one blames him.

General Kenobi gives Ahsoka a quick hug, too, and when he steps back (looking, for just a moment, very tired), Anakin says, hoarsely, “We should’ve been there to help you out. I’m so sorry, Snips.” Ahsoka looks down, and Rex wishes he could make her see that it wasn’t her fault, but really she’s going to have to decide that by herself. Or not. He just wants her to be alright, though.

Next thing he knows, Anakin is hugging  _ him,  _ so hard Rex wants to tell him to be careful. “I’m glad you’re still with us, brother,” he says, roughly, and Rex swallows and nods again, closing his eyes for a second.

“Yeah, sir, me too.” He wants to ask about how everyone suddenly knows what Anakin did on Tatooine, but he’s a little afraid to bring it up.

Ahsoka, it seems, isn’t really. “So what happened to you after you left?”

Kenobi sighs, heavily. “As you know, we had to go rescue the Chancellor. There were… complications.”

Anakin rolls his eyes. “By complications, he means he got knocked out and left me to fight Dooku alone, and then we got captured by Grievous.”

“It’s worth mentioning,” Kenobi says, dryly, “that he also killed Count Dooku. Which was, I  _ believe,  _ not really part of the  _ plan.” _

Rex frowns a little, although he’s not really complaining - Dooku’s been a threat for years, but Kenobi’s right. The Council and the Senate have wanted to put him on trial for a long time. He doesn’t get the politics of that but it was probably sort of important.

“Well, I added it to the plan,” Anakin says, angry, gruff. “He needed to die.”

“That rather depends on your point of view,” Kenobi says, and Cody snorts, humorlessly.

~~~

Ahsoka blinks, doesn't quite know what to say. “Anakin,” she says, frowning a little, “I thought the Council had standing orders  _ not _ to kill him.”

_ “Had _ being the operative phrase there,” her former Master says, and alright then. “Chancellor Palpatine himself ordered me to kill Dooku. What else was I supposed to do?”

She sighs, shrugs, says, “I guess. But why- how does everyone know about _ Tatooine, _ that was supposed to be a secret!”

Anakin just shrugs, going quiet and pale and exhausted again. “I don't know. Someone told the Council, they won't say who.” He hesitates, then adds, “I wish that was the only thing keeping me up at night.”

“What do you mean?” He's clearly not sleeping, but she'd assumed that was from stress and nightmares like usual, not… not something new.

“I've been having dreams,” he says,  _ incredibly _ serious, his eyes haunted and unsure. “About- Mortis. And in them, I'm helping the Son.”

_ Shit. _

It feels like the ground’s dropping out from beneath her feet, but she manages to stay steady when she says, carefully, looking at Obi-Wan for details (he looks just as worried, but not _ surprised, _ which means he's already been told), “What do you mean?”

“The Father told me the Son showed me something I ‘never should have seen’ and that he'd erased my memory. The last thing I remember is going down into the Well after the Son- then I woke up in the monastery. But I keep-  _ seeing _ it.” He runs his hand through his hair, nervously. “In my dreams I don't try to fight the Son, instead I go back to the shuttle to try and help him get out, and I think- I'm not sure, but I think I try to have you and Obi-Wan killed.” He shakes his head, as though he can't even accept the words.

Ahsoka is frozen, deliberately dragging every breath in long and slow and steady.  _ Anakin cannot learn about what happened during the time he forgot, _ Obi-Wan had told her and Rex, after Mortis, while Kix worked on her leg and pretended not to listen.  _ Neither can the Council. I have left all the details out of my mission reports, and you should do the same. _

But now, if he's  _ remembering… _ what are they supposed to do? What can she _ say? _

“That doesn't sound like you,” is all she can manage to get out.

“Then why does it feel so _ real?” _ Anakin wants to pace, she can tell. “You never did tell me how you broke your leg, Snips.”

Oh,  _ shit. _

~~~

Rex is grateful, now, that he has spent so long learning to hide what he’s thinking, because at the moment he’s  _ terrified. _ He shrugs a little at Anakin, pushing away any guilt at the lie because it is a necessary one, they agreed: “Speeder crash. That vision she had made her lose control of the speeder and crash because she’s a  _ real good pilot, _ apparently.” He forces a tiny smile at Ahsoka, teasing, because they have to sell this.

Cody, who knows much, but not all of the story, is watching him narrowly.

“What are you hiding from me?” Anakin asks, sharply, looking between all of them, and Rex sees Je’kai flinch, just a little.

Little  _ gods,  _ Rex doesn’t want to do this now.

“Perhaps it would be better to have this discussion somewhere private,” Kenobi says, also glancing at Je’kai, and the wounded that are still being moved from the  _ Resolute. _

“Whatever the case, you’ll have to excuse me and the Commander,” Cody says, neutrally, putting a hand on Je’kai’s shoulder. “I believe we both still have reports.”

Rex would like to excuse himself too.

Especially considering the six hundred and fifty-nine casualty reports he has to fill out.

But he can tell that Anakin wouldn’t let him, just now, regardless, so he sighs and shrugs at them. “We can use my office, if you want.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Kenobi doesn’t wait for further input, just turns with his hands still clasped behind his back and leads the way out of the hangar.

When they get to Rex’s office, he apologizes briefly for not having chairs or anything, despite the fact that he didn’t choose how to furnish this room, and then puts his arm around Ahsoka where she leans back against his desk. Kenobi drags Rex’s chair out from behind his desk so he can sit down, wearily.

Anakin walks in and starts pacing, like Jesse always does, but not so contained. He runs his hands through his hair, and Rex watches him, feeling tense, locked down. They need to not do this right now (preferably not ever). “What the kriff happened on Mortis, for real?” Anakin asks, and he stops pacing, twists to look at all three of them. “What did I  _ do?” _

Kenobi leans forward, hands folded, says, “Anakin, the Father removed those memories for a reason.”

And there have been many times Rex is grateful they’re gone.

“Well, I don’t  _ care  _ about the Father,” Anakin growls. “Tell me  _ what happened.” _

Rex can feel the push behind those words, struggles against it like he’s learned to and keeps his mouth shut.

“Anakin, calm down,” Kenobi says, sharply. “Please understand, we’re acting in your best interest.”

“I don’t think this is the best time,” Rex adds, trying not to sound as tired as he feels. He’d still rather pretend there’s nothing to be concerned about, but for some reason Kenobi seems to think this is better, so he goes along with it because Kenobi usually has a better idea about things like this than he does. “We just lost a lot of men, sir, we have things to sort out and reports and- all those things.”

Anakin hesitates for a second, but then he snaps, “I’ll decide what my  _ best interests _ are-”

“Skyguy,” and Ahsoka presses a bit closer to Rex, and he thinks she feels tense, “Like Rex said, I just lost most of my battalion. There’s a shitload of paperwork to do, I’m exhausted, and I haven’t had a hot meal in three weeks.  _ Please  _ let it go.”

Anakin grits his teeth, scowling, but he nods tersely and says, “You’re right. Fine.” Rex doesn’t really like the look in his eyes, doesn’t like that Anakin doesn’t _believe them_ (even though it's true they've been lying - they _have_ to), but he’s just glad Ahsoka’s stalled the conversation for now, so he nods quickly and tightens his arm around Ahsoka and heads out of the office, finds he doesn’t really want to look at Anakin.

This isn’t fair, but no good would come of  _ telling  _ him. He’d just be horrified, when as far as Rex understands it wasn’t really his fault, although he still doesn’t really know what happened.

~~~

A couple of days after the return from Mandalore, while Ahsoka is working on her mission report for the GAR, her comm pings.  _ “General Tano,” _ and it's a clone she doesn't know,  _ “come in.” _

“I'm here. What do you need?”

_ “You've been summoned by Chancellor Palpatine. He wishes to speak with you about… General Skywalker. He's requested your presence in his office immediately.” _

Well,  _ that's _ reassuring. “I'm on my way,” she says, quickly turns her datapad off and pushes back from her desk, jamming her feet into her boots and replacing her headdress. She's not sure what exactly this is about, but given recent events, it's not likely to be anything good. And Anakin trusts the Chancellor more than just about anyone else, except maybe Padmè.

She takes one of the Temple speeders, arrives at the Senate building in just a few minutes. A pair of shocktroopers nod at her as she walks by them- she can't quite smile, remembering them in their distinctive, uniform, red-painted armor, chasing after her and trying to bring her down for something she didn't do. She nods back though, and that's enough.

The Chancellor has his hands behind his back when she enters his office, is staring out the large picture window overlooking Coruscant. “You wanted to see me?” Ahsoka asks, stopping a couple meters from his desk, almost instinctively settling into something resembling parade rest.

“Yes, thank you, Knight Tano.” Palpatine turns to face her fully, smiling that same old genial smile, the one that makes him look like he's your grandfather. “I wanted to talk to you about your Master- I'm worried about him. I don't think he's been sleeping well.”

Ahsoka frowns, feeling inexplicably defensive. “Of course he isn't, he's _ stressed,” _ she says,  _ almost _ sharply.

Palpatine shakes his head, sadly, sighs. “Don't misunderstand me, Ahsoka- can I call you Ahsoka?” She shrugs and nods, and he smiles warmer and continues. “I'm very worried about Anakin, you see- he felt, well… I haven't told anyone else this, because I don't want word getting out- Anakin is already in so much trouble with the Jedi, I don't want to make that any worse.”

“I won't say anything,” Ahsoka says, although she shifts, consideringly. What's this all _  about? _

“When Anakin killed Count Dooku, he seemed-  _ dangerous. _ I was hoping you could keep an eye on him. Covertly, of course.” Palpatine looks so _ earnest, _ and she sighs.

“I can do that,” she says, tiredly. “I'm worried about him too. This is- it's been really hard on everyone, and the timing couldn't be worse.”

“Ahh, yes, you just lost most of your battalion on Mandalore, isn't that right?”

She doesn't mean to flinch, but she can't help it, has to swallow and look away, nodding quietly. “Yeah, it was- a hard battle, but we took the planet, so…”

“Then your men did not die in vain,” he says gently. “I apologize, but I have a great deal of things to attend to, and I'm sure you must be busy as well. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.”

“Of course,” Ahsoka says, smiles and turns away. She's not entirely sure what the whole _ purpose _ of that conversation was, but at least it seemed to go well.

That's a relief. So few things are going _ right, _ these days.

~~~

The first days back on Coruscant, Rex forces himself to work on his casualty reports immediately, doesn’t ask Ahsoka to sit with him while he does them because he knows it would just hurt her too. Still, he ends up spending most of the days in a bit of a fog, memories and grief all twisted up in his head so he can’t quite ignore them. His battalion is mostly mixed in with the 607th again in their barracks, so when he goes to eat one night in the mess hall, after he and Ahsoka have been working on their separate reports all day, he sits down to find Naas scooting right over by him and shoving a plate of food his way, like he’s been waiting.

“Thanks,  _ vod’ika,”  _ Rex says, wearily, smiling, and Naas smiles back, looking sad and pained.

Je’kai told Rex that Naas has had splitting migraines ever since the Council put Anakin on probation. Tuck (who transferred to the 607th because everyone knew Beten wasn’t going to be tough enough to make sure Anakin was taking care of himself) had examined him, and of course had determined reluctantly that Naas’ headaches were a product of the Force. Naas has told Rex that General Kenobi says he’s just not shielding well enough yet.

“Where’s General Tano?” Naas asks, and Rex sighs, rubs his forehead.

“I don’t know.” He’s been trying to make sure she doesn’t spend all her time hiding in her room, but he’s busy too, and eating in the mess requires spending a lot more time with the men than he thinks she wants to. Sighing, he digs into his food, nearly misses the shift in conversation in the mess until everyone sort of quiets and Orikih jumps over Rex’s plate to run towards the door. Rex turns around, sees Ahsoka walking in with a bit of hesitation in her stride, and Orikih runs up to her and puts her tiny front paws up on Ahsoka’s leg.

Rex smiles a bit and pushes himself to his feet, walks over to her as she picks Orikih up and the cat curls up in the crook of her elbow. “Where’ve you been?” he asks, lightly, touching her shoulder.

“The Chancellor wanted to meet with me,” she explains, which is concerning.

“What’d you do, sir?” one of his  _ vode  _ asks, wryly, from where he’s lounging on one of the tables with a cup of caf (or, more likely, moonshine) in hand.

Rex shakes his head, but raises an eyebrow at Ahsoka. “Yeah, what did he want?” It had to have been something serious. They walk over and sit down by Naas, who winces a little but reaches over to pat Ahsoka’s back, very seriously.

“I’m really not sure. He said he’s really worried about Anakin.” She shrugs, reaches over and takes a piece of bread off of Rex’s plate.

“That’s what he told me too,” Naas says, nodding sagely, and Rex frowns, gives Naas a sharp look.

“I thought we agreed talking to politicians was a bad idea,” he says, mildly.

“It wasn’t my idea!” Naas protests, although he sounds too tired to really argue the point. “He wanted to talk to me.” He snaps his mouth shut then, with a stubborn look on his face, and shrugs. “He’s worried about Ani.”

“So’s everybody,” says Fives, walking over with a cup of caf and sitting down across from them. “Hey, General.”

“Hey Fives.” Ahsoka takes a bite of her (stolen) bread, and sighs. “He’s not talking to me, it’s- I’m really worried about him.”

Rex nods, looks down, and Fives makes a small noise of understanding. “There’s some weird rumors going around the battalion, you know, sir. About that mission where you broke your leg, I guess.”

“Let it go,  _ vod,”  _ Rex says, shortly.

Fives narrows his eyes at him, but sighs and takes another long sip of his caf.

“Hang on, let him talk.” Ahsoka rests her elbows on the table, munching on her food. “What are you hearing?”

Fives shrugs, looks at Naas, who’s hunched his shoulders up by his ears, and some of their other  _ vode,  _ who are trying to pretend they aren’t listening. “It’s just, some of us heard you all talking in the hangar. About you and the General and Rex not telling Anakin everything about that mission. We just don’t like not knowing what’s going on, sir.”

Ahsoka nods, sighing, and shifts her weight on the bench they’re sitting on. “Some things happened on that mission that neither Anakin nor the Council can ever know about. We don’t like hiding things from you, but this time there’s no choice.”

Fives frowns, says, “Alright, sir,” but glances at Rex as if to make sure.

Rex nods. The battalions  _ especially  _ can’t know.

~~~

Ahsoka hates it, but she _ knows _ she can't tell the battalions anything about Mortis. Especially with word somehow getting out to the Council about what really happened on Tatooine… they can't risk it. And Anakin _ can't _ know- besides feeling guilty as hell for what he did, there's also the chance that he'd remember _ why _ he did it and decide that Falling is the only way, still, to prevent that future. And that _ can't happen. _

So. No one can know.

That doesn't mean she _ enjoys _ having to keep secrets from her men, though. She reaches over and swipes a piece of chicken off Rex's plate, ignoring his annoyed grumble, takes a bite. “What've you been up to lately?” she asks, looking over at Naas.

“I have- headaches, so I sleep a lot.” That's not good, and Ahsoka frowns a little, worried. He keeps talking, though. “Oh, but Beten and Tuck are teaching me medic stuff.”

He looks _ excited _ about that, and she can't help but smile. “That's good, Naas! Are you going to learn any Force healing?”

Immediately, she can tell that question is still pushing things too far. “Oh, I don't-” He stops, nervous, shaking his head a little. “I don't know, General Kenobi said he could show me, but I don't-”

Ahsoka tries to smile, though it's hard (a part of her is just _ waiting _ for someone to ask about Mandalore, to lay the blame she deserves on her shoulders). “Either way, it'll be good to have another medic in this battalion.”

“Well, not _ this _ battalion,” Naas points out, and then he lowers his voice, nervously whispery but _ excited. _ “Did you know medics can boss Generals around? That's what Tuck says.”

Ahsoka has to bite her lip to keep from laughing, can't look over at Rex because she just _ knows _ he's doing the same thing too. “Yeah, I did,” she says, lightly, “unfortunately.” Somehow, Kix is even _ worse _ now that she's his General, not just a Commander. “Anakin needs a lot of bossing,” she adds, and Fives chuckles.

“At least he's not as bad as Kenobi.”

He has a point. Ahsoka can't help snorting. “I don't envy Scratch.”

~~~

“Tuck shouldn’t have told you that,” Rex sighs, teasing, because if Naas starts discovering that he can tell his officers what to do when they’re injured, none of them are going to be able to argue with him. Naas is very  _ young,  _ in many ways, very small, and when he looks at you and makes a concerned face and asks you a question, it’s near-impossible to refuse him. The battalion universally agrees that it isn’t fair.

Naas smirks just a little, as if he’s somewhat aware of  _ why  _ Tuck shouldn’t have told him, and Rex narrows his eyes. But of course, his  _ vod’ika  _ just hums to himself and looks down, shrugging. “Well, if it’s true, then I should know.”

“Fair enough.”

Rex goes back to his meal, and Ahsoka gets up to actually get her own food (finally). As she comes back to sit down (passing him another piece of bread), Je’kai comes into the mess, the weary lines on his face deeper than usual. Orikih hops off Naas’ lap again to go greet him, and Je’kai sets the cat on his shoulder, gets some food, and comes over to sit with them all.

“This thing with the Tuskens…” he says, carefully. “I think the General thinks one of us told the Council about it. He kept asking me questions.”

Rex looks down, thoughtful. He knows that it’s only his battalion and General Kenobi and Ahsoka who know about Tatooine, so- “Did someone in the battalion? Do you know?”

Je’kai shakes his head shortly. “I don’t know. I wouldn’t think so, but  _ someone _ had to do it.”

Rex isn’t so much concerned with  _ who  _ told the Council as he is about  _ why  _ they did. It seems too much to hope that it was purely out of concern. It’s more likely that somebody is afraid, or doesn’t trust Anakin, or, the worst option, is a traitor. He would understand, he thinks, if someone in the 607th had no faith in his General, but that doesn’t make it any less dangerous, any less of a concern. He’s afraid for Anakin, and afraid of what’s going to happen if he remembers what happened on Mortis.

Nothing is  _ right,  _ anymore, and he just wants to have his  _ aliit  _ safe again.

~~~

The Council chamber is rarely someplace Anakin wants to be in, even when his Master is there. Now, with Obi-Wan’s seat empty, his Master offworld on an assignment, and the rest of the Council wearing the most serious looks he's ever _ seen, _ he wants to be here less than ever. It's downright _ unpleasant, _ the way they're all staring at him.

“You asked to see me, Masters?” he asks, calmly, expecting Windu to give him the news of some important target or another that's in bad enough straits they need Anakin to go save its ass, regardless of his  _ probation. _

Instead, Yoda speaks. “Disturbing news, this Council has recently heard,” he says, solemn. “Tell us, you will, without omission, the events that took place on Mortis.”

It can't be a coincidence. Anakin grits his teeth, remembering his Master and his padawan and Rex all refusing to give him a straight answer, says, tightly, “I can't really do that, I'm afraid. I had my memory wiped.”

“Hmm.” Yoda doesn't look convinced, and something cold settles hard and heavy in Anakin's stomach.

Windu shifts. “We have heard from a reliable source that you used the Dark Side while in Mortis- and not only that, but you willingly _ joined with it. _ Is this true?”

No, that can't be- he _ wouldn't have, _ he _ knows _ that, the dreams are just dreams, whoever is telling the Council things is just trying to make him look bad, maybe even get him expelled, they don't _ know anything- _ He shakes his head, hard, says, “I don't _ know, _ I told you, my memory was wiped. You'll have to ask Obi-Wan or Ahsoka or Rex. But I would _ never _ do that.”

“Unfortunately, we cannot trust the three of them to give is a straight answer,” Master Tiin says, and Anakin balls his fists. They're all _ idiots, _ the lot of them, don't they _ get it? _ He _ doesn't know. _ But he _ didn't do that. _

“There is another option,” says Master Plo. “We could look into your mind for the block around your memories and remove it, revealing the truth to everyone in this room.”

“Do it, then,” Anakin growls, sharp, defensive. “You won't find anything.”

“Very well.” Windu closes his eyes, and there's a feeling like knocking against his shields- Anakin quickly locks down everything important behind _ tight _ shields, making sure to leave access to what memories he has of Mortis, before he dissolves his outer shields and lets the Master in.

And he _ sees _ it all, then, crystal clear, like in his dreams but _ worse, _ and all he can do is silently gasp in sick horror, because no, no, no.

_ I have a gift for you… know what you will become! _

_ I will do such terrible things. _

_ They would be right, Rex. Can you do me a favor? Execute Order Sixty-Six. _

_ You have your orders. _

No.  **_No!_ **

Anakin _ shoves _ Windu out of his head,  _ hard, _ stumbles back a step, says, “No, that can't be- I would _ never, _ I- oh, _ Force, _ Rex,” and he shakes his head, presses his hand to his forehead. “What have I  _ done?” _

“Gravely unsettling, this is,” Yoda says, quiet, and it takes him a moment to realize-

Someone who knew all this (knew what he _ did, _ oh hells) told the Council.

There are only three people who were with him on Mortis: his Master, his padawan, and his Captain.

One of them _ betrayed him. _

“I have to go,” he says, hoarse, shaking his head, like if he does that enough then maybe he can- maybe it won't be _ true. _ “I can't-”

“We will have to think long and hard about what to do with this, Skywalker,” Windu says, and he knows. He _ knows. _

_ Force, _ he knows. “I'm sorry,” he breathes, and then he turns on his heel and stumbles away.

He needs to talk to them.  _ Now. _

~~~

When Rex gets a comm from Anakin, he's in the middle of still more casualty reports, signing  _ CT-7567  _ for somewhere around the five-hundredth time, so he's relieved to hear Anakin's voice, at first.

_ “Rex, meet me and Ahsoka in the barracks command center,”  _ he says sharply, sounding frantic, angry.  _ “Right now.” _

Rex pushes away his datapad, shoves himself upright and rushes out of his office. He knows Obi-Wan was on a short assignment, so maybe he needs reinforcements, or else this is about the battalion and Tatooine, or something else  _ serious. _

(It still might be better than the casualty reports.)

Ahsoka's already with Anakin, when Rex shows up and forces a tight smile and a loose salute. “What's going on, sirs?” he asks. Anakin has activated the holotable in the middle of the room, and Rex takes a better look at his face, doesn't like what he sees: narrowed eyes, a tight scowl, but something hollow in his expression anyway. Ahsoka shrugs a little at him.

“Wait for Obi-Wan to answer,” Anakin snarls, and Rex twists his hands together. Gods, if they're going to try to have another discussion of the Mortis issue… He wishes Anakin would leave it alone.

If this  _ isn't  _ that, if this is some campaign or a threat - Rex is afraid of whatever's got Anakin so angry.

The holocomm connects and a flickering image of General Kenobi lights up over the holotable. “Anakin? Rex, Ahsoka- What happened? What do you need?”

“Why didn't you tell me what I did? Why did you  _ tell the Council?”  _ Anakin bursts out. “I deserved to know!” He twists to give Ahsoka and Rex the same terrified glare he'd been directing at Kenobi, and Rex takes a minute connecting what Anakin means by that.

When he does, for half a second he feels like the ground drops out from beneath his feet.

“I don't understand,” Kenobi says, smoothly, although Rex thinks he does. “What are you  _ saying,  _ Anakin?”

What does Anakin  _ mean,  _ “tell the Council”?

Rex crosses his arms, anxiously, waits to say anything until he has a better idea what's going on.

“You karking  _ know  _ what I'm saying,” Anakin snarls, shaking his head sharply. “There were only four of us on Mortis, so  _ which one of you told the Council?” _

Rex looks at Ahsoka, at a loss, doesn't find any answers that way. They all agreed, they said, no one could know.

Kenobi is almost too calm, hands clasped behind his back, says, “Anakin, we all agreed, after your memory was wiped, not to tell you  _ or  _ the Council. To protect you.”

“None of us- told them,” Rex says, less sure of himself than he wishes he was, because how the  _ hells  _ can the Council know what Anakin did when Anakin himself doesn't (didn't?) remember?

Ahsoka swallows. “We  _ didn't,  _ Master.”

_ “Banthashit.”  _ Anakin curls his hands into fists, hisses, “If it wasn't you, then  _ who did?” _

He's kriffing  _ right,  _ is the thing. Nobody else  _ knew;  _ Rex didn't even tell Cody all of it. They were so careful, they all agreed… So Ahsoka or Kenobi told the Council.

_ Gods. _

“I didn't,” Rex insists, can hear his own heartbeat. “I  _ promise,  _ General.”

Ahsoka, scared and raw, says, “It  _ wasn't me,  _ Master.”

And of course, Kenobi just shakes his head, reaching up to rub his chin, says, “I'm sorry, Anakin - it wasn't me either.”

Karking  _ hells. _

Anakin shakes his head, looking disbelieving,  _ so _ hurt. “I thought I could at least trust  _ you three.” _

“You  _ can,  _ Master,” Ahsoka says, anxiously, but Rex can tell that unless they can offer an explanation for how the  _ Council  _ knew about Mortis before he did, no amount of words are going to make up for this.

~~~

“I _ can't,” _ Anakin snaps, and Ahsoka knows,  _ knows,  _ that this isn't going to end well. “Because one of you is _ lying.” _

And it's not her. Not Rex either, she's sure of it. And for Obi-Wan to tell the Council important things wouldn't be a stretch, it's just- this was supposed to be _ kept quiet, _ no one was supposed to know, and they'd _ agreed. _ Written up the lie in their mission reports together, so that they made sure to get it right. She _ knows _ because it'd been one of the only conversations she'd gotten Rex to actually _ talk to her _ for.

So Obi-Wan told the Council. Maybe the Tuskens, too? She's not sure- she'd _ thought _ he'd agreed to stay quiet, but _ someone _ had to do it, and it had to be one of them.

So.  _ Kriff. _

“I'm _ sorry, _ Anakin,” she says, quietly, and he just shakes his head.

“Not good enough.” Then he turns and storms away, leaving Ahsoka alone with Rex and Obi-Wan's holo.

“Well, that didn't go well,” Obi-Wan says, too lightly.

She thinks maybe he _ did _ tell. But why lie about it?

“Not exactly,” Rex says,  _ tense, _ and she swallows.

“So which one of us did it?” she asks, looks at Obi-Wan because she _ can't _ believe it could've been Rex.

“Not me,” Rex says, steady, tight, and she nods.

“I really didn't do it,” Obi-Wan says, quietly anxious, and she purses her lips.

“So one of us is lying. Great. Just what we need.”  _ Just what Anakin needs, _ she doesn't say. Doesn't _ have _ to say. She reaches over and takes Rex's hand, steps into his side, because this is all  _ awful. _ Anakin's _ always _ trusted her, she doesn't- what's she supposed to do now?

She doesn't know, and that terrifies her.

~~~

Obi-Wan doesn’t understand how this could have happened, even as he meets Ahsoka and Rex’s eyes and is sure they will both think he was the one to betray Anakin’s trust. Even though he promised he wouldn’t, even though Anakin is his  _ best friend,  _ his  _ brother. _

But then, he himself had never thought  _ any _ of them would, and here they are.

“Perhaps we should continue this conversation when I get back,” he says. “This is too serious and sensitive a matter to discuss over holocomm.”

“Sounds like a plan,” Rex says, tightly, and Obi-Wan wishes he understood Rex as well as he does Cody - despite the fact that they share a face, he can’t work out what Rex is thinking.

He can’t help but wonder if it was Rex that told the Council, although he wishes he could avoid thinking in terms of blame at all - it’s simply that  _ someone  _ had to have.

“I agree,” Ahsoka says, serious, so Obi-Wan nods in acknowledgement and cuts off the comm, sighing and leaning against the dark holotable with his palms flat on its surface.

He should have asked Anakin if he was alright, he doesn’t even know if Anakin’s remembered everything himself or if he was just told. Either way, if Anakin knows, he  _ needs them,  _ but Obi knows him too well to expect him to talk to them  _ now. _

Sighing, he straightens, rubs at a crick in his neck, wishing he could just go back now and figure all this out. But he has to get Satine back to her planet, first.

As he has the thought, he turns to leave the command center and sees the Duchess herself leaning against the doorway, her hair in a loose bun, in socks and a long blue tunic. He tries to smile at her, thinks he’s fairly successful.

“Are you alright, Obi-Wan?” she asks, quietly.

“That rather depends on how long you’ve been standing there,” he answers, wryly, clasping his hands behind his back and walking over to her.

“Long enough to wonder what ‘Mortis’ is.” Satine gestures for him to follow her and heads down the hall, and Obi-Wan frowns, speeds up to walk right next to her, looking straight ahead.

He doesn’t know what he’s going to  _ do  _ about this. “I see. What did you need?”

“I need you to start taking care of yourself,” she sighs, although he glances at her and sees she’s smiling a little. “When was the last time you slept?”

“Last night,” Obi-Wan says, raising an eyebrow at her. He is a bit tired, as it’s been hard to truly be  _ well-rested  _ with everything that’s been happening with Anakin and the Siege and Dooku and the Council beginning to discuss what to do now that the war finally seems to be working toward a resolution. There seems to be so much at stake here.

“Consider me impressed,” Satine says, sounding amused. He’s not surprised to find she doesn’t let it go there, though. “You shouldn’t spend all your time working, though, Obi. You’ll make yourself sick.” She slows down a little, sets a hand on his upper arm, and he looks over to smile at her, although he finds he’s too distracted to come up with a good response.

“Perhaps you should take your own advice,” he says mildly, hiding his hands in the sleeves of his robes, picking at the threads. This is a new set of robes, so the cloth is still scratchy and a bit stiff.

Satine laughs, light, and shrugs a bit, stopping in the hallway and gesturing to one of the rooms; her ship, being primarily a diplomatic vessel, has nice amenities such as comfortable sitting rooms, one of which Obi-Wan is pleased to find himself walking into now. “Perhaps you’re right,” she says, going over to one of the plush couches and sitting down with a little sigh. “Unfortunately, my planet and my people need me now more than ever.”

Obi-Wan doesn’t entirely want to sit down, feels too restless for it, but he does anyway, folding his hands in his lap. “Yes. And as you apparently heard, the same is true of the people I have a duty to.”

He’d still hoped to talk further with Ahsoka about the loss of so much of her battalion, but he’s not sure  _ she’ll  _ listen to him, now. He suspects she still trusts Rex enough to speak to him (because, again, Anakin can’t seem to trust them right now and that is… it’s not a good time for this), and that will have to be good enough. He rubs his forehead, between his eyes, and shakes his head a little. “I am… not entirely sure what I’m going to do about all of this, Satine.”

~~~

“Perhaps I could help,” Satine says, quietly, tucking her feet up beneath her on the couch and twisting to look at Obi-Wan. He looks tired enough she doesn't suspect that he slept very well or very long, the previous night, if he did manage to sleep at all, but she supposes she won't push him too much. At least he's willing to sit with her and- not relax, but rest, a little. “If you tell me what's going on…” She trails off, watching him closely.

Obi-Wan runs his fingers through his beard, contemplative, before sighing. “It's complicated,” he says, “and you apparently heard most of it, but suffice to say that someone has been telling the Jedi Council things about Anakin that they  _ never _ should have learned. Things like what happened on Mortis, things that… could get him expelled from the Order.”

“Things that only you, Ahsoka, and Commander Rex know about,” she clarifies. He nods, and she thinks she understands why he's so _ stressed. _

“The timing of this couldn't be worse,” Obi-Wan continues, twisting his fingers into the sleeves of his robe, and almost without thinking she reaches out and covers one of his hands with her own, threading their fingers together. Obi-Wan tenses, a little, and for a moment she thinks he's going to pull away- but he doesn't, just lets out a sigh and shifts almost imperceptibly closer to her. “Ahsoka just lost the majority of her battalion while on Mandalore, and Anakin… he's been _ different _ since killing Dooku. I feel like I can't reach him.”

“Killing tends to change a person,” Satine says, and though her tone is light, her words are not. She has more cause than most to know what killing can do.

“Yes, but…” Obi-Wan shakes his head, frustrated, almost. “This is different. His mind is closed to me and he's spending far more time with the Chancellor than before. I am losing him, Satine, and I don't know how to get him back.”

Her heart _ aches _ for him, in that moment, her shining Jedi Knight, and as always a part of her wants to pull him close, but she resists that with practiced ease (though it's grown far harder since his rescue of her from her own prison). “My dear Obi-Wan,” she says, then sighs. “I know you, and I know you will find a way to fix this. I am- sorry I don't have a solution for you.”

_ Sorry _ doesn't cover it, really, Satine thinks, watching her Jedi. He looks so _ exhausted, _ soul-deep, and without entirely meaning to she leans into his side, some. He needs _ something, _ she can tell that much, but in some ways the decorated Jedi General is a stranger to her. She can no longer read him with the old familiar ease.

She regrets that, most of the time.

~~~

“I’m grateful for your faith in me,” Obi-Wan says, tiredly, smiling a little, “but I’m not so sure it will be simple to  _ fix  _ this. I’m…” He stops. He wants to say he’s afraid that Anakin already didn’t trust him, that maybe Anakin really thinks that Obi would betray him to the Council like that. Things had been better, sort of, for a while, but he’s not sure now. He wants to tell Satine how at some point he failed Anakin and he doesn’t know how or when it happened but his brother seems to think Obi-Wan would really- Well. Never mind.

He settles for a shake of the head, a deep sigh. “I think they will all blame me,” he says, quietly. “But I promised there were things I wouldn’t tell the Council, and I didn’t - I don’t know what to do when they don’t believe me.”

“Then you must find a way to prove it wasn’t you,” Satine says, simply, quiet, as if it was  _ easy.  _ How can he, especially when… when if he didn’t tell the Council, it was Rex or Ahsoka? “If there’s anything I can do, Obi, anything at all,  _ please  _ don’t hesitate to ask.” She squeezes his hand a little, and he smiles at her, nods.

“Thank you.” He doesn’t know what she could do to help with this, but he appreciates the offer nonetheless. “I do think this helped, already.” Normally he doesn’t have anyone to talk to, about these things, although there have been occasions he’s confided in Cody or Anakin.

“I’m glad,” she tells him, easing a little closer to him, and Obi sighs and sets his free hand over their intertwined fingers.

“I hope you can bring peace back to Mandalore,” he says, sincerely. Especially after how many were lost during their campaign to win it back… it seems only right that Mandalore should be able to be a peaceful place again. Not the same as before, perhaps, but still.

“You and me both,” she says, softly, and tilts her head against his shoulder, exhaling slowly like she plans to just relax and stay here. It’s nice. Endearing, Obi thinks. Almost enough to pull all the unwelcome tension out of his shoulders. He tries to get more comfortable on the couch, runs his thumb over the back of Satine’s hand. Selfishly, he wishes she wasn’t going home just yet. Partly because she is someone he can trust, because she  _ believes  _ him. Whatever she thinks of him for fighting, for many of the principles he holds, he knows she doesn’t think he broke his promises.

It has been good, having her on Coruscant, despite the reasons. He’d known she was safe. They haven’t talked often enough, still, and of course not like they used to, but she was away from Maul, and now… Now Maul’s dead. And her home is hers again. So he doesn’t feel  _ uneasy  _ about taking her home, at least.

Just a bit sad, in truth. She is, he supposes, his oldest and dearest friend, and he likes having her closer. He will miss her, but perhaps with the war winding down… he may get to see her more often.

He is not exactly optimistic (the Force is too muddled for that, right now), but he is, as ever, hopeful at the prospect.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We are sorry, everything is awful.
> 
> Updates may slow down somewhat next week, since skywalking-across-the-galaxy got a new job (!!)
> 
> If you're still liking this fic, we'd love to hear from you!

Coruscant is bustling this afternoon. Ahsoka eyes the crowds around her with suspicion, can't help being on edge the whole time. Unlike just a few months ago, the atmosphere is nearly _ hostile, _ the people a teeming throng rife with anger. Their emotions beat against her shields, making it hard to ignore them all.

She's not sure she _ should, _ anyway. They feel like they're seething, like anything could set them off.

“Get back to the war, where you _ belong,” _ someone snarls, and Ahsoka looks over to see an older Twi'lek man glaring furiously at Rex. “We don't want your kind here. Go back to dying for us, like you were made to do.”

“Hey,” Ahsoka says, as calmly as she can manage, gritting her teeth to keep from snapping, “that's enough. Please-”

“Who are you to tell me what to do? We don't want Jedi here either!” He's practically _ growling. _

“Listen,” and she forces herself to keep her tone even, “you don't have to like us, but I ask that you at _ least _ are respectful. This war isn't easy on the Jedi either.”

“What’re you gonna do to me, Jedi, hmm? Kill me with your laser sword? I'm not afraid of you,” and the man spits on the ground at her feet.

“General,” Rex says quietly, nudging her, “let's move on.”

Ahsoka clenches her fist, but she nods and lets Rex tug her further along the road, away from the angry crowds, the furious Twi'lek.

It's never been this _ bad, _ before. She doesn't know what to _ do _ with all the outright hostility.

~~~

It had been Ahsoka’s idea to go back to the little Alderaanian cafe on Coruscant’s lower levels, because Rex had finished all his casualty reports today and she’d just seemed like she wanted to get  _ out. _ She hasn’t really discussed it with him, but he knows her, knows that she still thinks it’s her fault that half the battalion was lost and won’t forgive herself for it.

So of course he agreed; for all the awkwardness, he’d liked the cafe. And he had thought this would help Ahsoka.

He’d begun to change his mind not too long after leaving the barracks. There are protestors outside the Jedi Temple and the barracks and GAR headquarters today, with holoprojection signs and slogans in Basic and Aurebesh and Ryl against the GAR, the Jedi, cloning - anything and everything to do with the war.

It'd been a mess, so Rex and Ahsoka had hurried down a few levels, had thought at first that getting away from the organized protesting would be better.

Apparently, that's not the case.

Rex sets a protective hand on Ahsoka's shoulders as they walk away from the angry man, trying not to be as upset as he wants to be, which leaves him with exhaustion. He just finished signing six hundred and fifty-nine reports, one for every dead brother, so what the man said stings worse than it normally would.

He wants to put his arm around Ahsoka but has to settle for the palm between her shoulder blades and a tight smile. “Let it go,” he says, quietly. “People don't understand.”

They  _ should,  _ but that's another problem entirely.

“They can't just say that stuff, Rex,” she snaps, fiercely, but he thinks she sounds hurt, too.

“Apparently they can,” he answers, trying to be lighthearted and ending up just half-growling it. He wishes he was even surprised, but especially since the Temple bombing and Ahsoka running rogue through Coruscant, things have been getting very tense.

“It's not  _ right,”  _ she insists.

“No.” Rex sighs, wearily. “No, it's not.” His brothers, the Jedi- they've been fighting and dying in this war for years, have lost more than anyone should have asked them to, but he's beginning to understand that nobody else sees it that way. Rex makes his peace with the endless fighting because if he fights, others don't have to, and he's protecting children and families and cultures when he does. Other people just think that when the war comes through, there is destruction and death in its wake, and who else could be to blame but the Jedi and the clones, who've been spearheading the war effort since it began?

So that is why the vitriol in the Twi'lek man's voice and the crowd in agreement with him and the way people still cringe out of Rex's way on the street or, now, stare at him with outright disgust. People are tired of war. And tired of warriors.

“I don't like this.” Ahsoka eases over to walk closer to him, and he feels her take a deep breath, exhaling in a worried sigh.

“Yeah, me either,” Rex says, wryly, smiling a little, although he doesn’t feel at all like smiling. He wants to be with his brothers, to keep any of the rest of them from seeing this.

“When could it have gotten this bad?” Ahsoka asks, genuinely wondering, confused. “I mean, we’ve never been  _ popular,  _ but…” She shrugs, gestures loosely in front of her.

“When you joined the war and started commanding armies,” Rex answers. He remembers at the start of the war, for the first year, everyone had trusted the Jedi. Even still, people are more often eager to put faith in a Jedi than not. But the war, devastating and unpopular from the start, has changed that, for better or worse. “People just used to be too scared to say anything.”

He doesn’t say what they both know, that no one has ever liked clones, nor does he mention that out of the public eye, or out on campaigns, no one has ever really had a problem expressing that dislike.

Ahsoka wraps her arms around her stomach with a smaller sigh and shakes her head a little, and Rex wishes they had just stayed in the barracks today. He’s pretty sure they’re almost to the cafe now, though, so then they can just sit down and eat and nobody will bother them. He has enough credits today, he thinks, to get his own food.

Which is also nice. (He won the credits off Akaan at another game of sabacc because Akaan  _ kept  _ insisting he was good enough at the game to beat Rex, but he’s never been subtle enough, so Rex always challenged him to sabacc if he was low on credits. Technically, it’s a shit move, but Akaan always agrees - agreed - to play anyway.)

He splays his fingers wider over Ahsoka’s shoulder blades and tells himself it doesn’t matter what everyone thinks of the Jedi and his  _ vode,  _ anyway, so long as they still win this war and they all leave his  _ vode  _ more or less alone.

~~~

By the time they get to Lissa’s cafe, Ahsoka is beyond angry and just _ tired. _ Rex's hand on her shoulder helps, is grounding, but it's still- she shakes her head, sighing. This is all so _ wrong. _

The people shouldn't be this angry and distrustful of the Jedi.

Lissa herself is working the counter when Ahsoka and Rex walk in; she smiles warmly, and Ahsoka goes and sits down at a table, Rex following her, waits. It's only a few minutes before Lissa comes over with two menus, settling them down on the table. “It's good to see you again, in less…  _ difficult _ circumstances.”

“Likewise,” and Ahsoka tries to smile, isn't entirely sure she succeeds. “Although I wouldn't call these circumstances less difficult, just less… dire.”

“You mean the protesters? They've unfortunately only been getting worse. I had to close early yesterday because of them.” Lissa frowns, lowers her voice, says, “I heard that the shocktroopers sent in to calm everyone down were actually attacked.”

That's not good. If things have gotten to the point where people are attacking the _ Coruscant Guard… _ Ahsoka doesn't know what to think. “They're so _ angry,” _ she says, shaking her head.

Lissa sighs, wearily. “No one likes this war, Ahsoka, and they're losing faith that the Jedi will be able to end it.”

_ So are we, _ Ahsoka thinks, to herself, then shrugs. “With Dooku dead, we're closer than we've ever been.”

“Let us pray it stays that way.”

~~~

Rex is quiet until Lissa leaves their table for a little while to talk to some other customers, and then he makes a pretense of looking at his menu, although really he can’t focus on it as well as he’d like. He just keeps thinking of his dead brothers, and then again of the angry people in the streets and the protesting crowds.

Still, he ends up deciding he wants caf and some chicken, and with his decision made, pushes the menu away from him and rests his forearms on the table, sighing. He really does like this cafe. Partly because although it’s bustling and busy and full of people, it seems more peaceful than the rest of Coruscant - today especially.

Ahsoka looks tired, he thinks, and he’s not surprised. She hasn’t been sleeping well. More often than not she still comes to sleep with him in the barracks, which he’s grateful for; he has too many nightmares when she doesn’t. He thinks that even  _ with  _ him, she still has nightmares when she sleeps, so she’s only been getting a few hours at a time.

It doesn’t help that General Kenobi returned from Mandalore yesterday, and they’d spent hours discussing things.

Kenobi had seemed to think  _ Rex  _ was the one who told the Council. He thinks it was the General, though, and so does Ahsoka - and it hadn’t mattered. They’re no closer to discovering the source of the problem than before.

All Rex knows is that someone is  _ lying,  _ and lying very well.

“Everything’s going to be okay,” he tells Ahsoka, quietly, sadly. Not as convincing as he wants to be.

She shrugs, still perusing her menu. “It doesn’t really seem like it right now.”

That’s true. Everything’s gone  _ so  _ wrong, and Anakin won’t talk to them, and Naas hasn’t gotten out of bed at all the last few days except when Kix coaxed him out to learn some new medical procedures. Rex sighs, wants to insist, but really he doesn’t  _ know  _ right now. He  _ hurts. _

His General doesn’t trust him.  _ General Kenobi  _ doesn’t trust him. Everyone hates him and his  _ vode. _ Ahsoka thinks it’s her fault that…

Her fault that they’re all  _ dead. _ He can’t stop  _ thinking  _ about it, about how many he’s lost; he keeps thinking of their names and the fact that he couldn’t help, having to turn and retreat while they were all  _ dying. _

But he can’t bring himself to try to push it all down this time, either. That’s not remembrance. But it hurts so much  _ worse,  _ now, than it has before. Except for when he earned his jaig eyes. That was the worst battle, and the first time he’d really lost men.

A waitress comes back to take their orders, interrupting Rex’s fault, and Ahsoka just orders a muffin and chocolatey caf, and Rex gets what he wants, and as she walks away with their menus, Rex reaches over and takes Ahsoka’s hand, briefly.

“You know I trust you,” he says, very gently. “Right?”

“Yeah, Rex,” she answers, smiling a little at him. She's too discouraged, though, he thinks. “But it feels like no one else does.”

“Not  _ no one  _ else.” Rex shrugs a little, pulls his hand back. “I'm sorry, though, Ahsoka.”

She sighs wearily. “Feels like it, I said.”

They sit together and eat their food, when the waitress brings it back, and Rex enjoys the fact that nobody bothers them and that they just get to be quiet together. Even when they go to pay and Rex goes to look at the sketchbooks and notebooks and interesting other little bits of things the cafe has for sale, nobody bothers them, or even pays them much attention. It’s nice. And it’s nice that there’s no one around but Lissa who really knows anything about them.

As they leave, he’s sure to thank the Alderaanian women for helping them, when Ahsoka had been trying to escape the Guard. Nearly thanks her for the discount when he bought Brii’s sketchbook before, but finds he’s still too embarrassed.

So instead he just makes an effort to smile at her, hooks his arm through Ahsoka’s as they walk out of the cafe and back onto the streets.

~~~

Beten rubs his hand over the red and blue circles on his armor, anxiously. He and Kix are supposed to be getting medical supplies to replenish the _ Resolute’s _ stocks, but the crowds are so _ thick  _ and pressing and _ violent, _ and Beten thinks maybe they should just… put this off for another day.

“Kix,” he says, worriedly, looking around at the people, “are you sure about this?”

“Not really,” Kix admits, “but we need the supplies, so…” He trails off, shrugging.

That's not very reassuring. The people are just _ staring, _ some of them hissing out comments under their breath that Beten really doesn't think he wants to hear.

And they keep just pressing _ closer. _

“Kix…” he says again, warning.

“I know,  _ vod.” _ The medic’s hand is hovering near his new lightsaber almost instinctively.

“I want to go back to the barracks.”

“Me too,” Kix says, lightly. “Probably a smart idea. We can come back with one of the Generals later.”

“Sounds good,” Beten says, relieved, and he turns to head back, only for a group of Humans to step into his path.

“Going somewhere, clone?” one of them snarls, and Beten swallows and backs up a few steps.

Shit. Shit, shit,  _ shit. _

This is not good.

~~~

Kix edges a little bit between Beten and the angry people, holds out his hands placatingly. “We’re just getting some medical supplies. We have patients to get back to, so we’ll need to ask you to excuse us.” He smiles, in an attempt at politeness, and if he lets just a trace of the Force into his words, who could blame him?

The group seems to hesitate for a second, but the subtle influence isn’t enough against the strength of their emotions. “No, I don’t think we’re finished here yet,” someone says, and Kix works to keep a calm expression on his face, steps further in front of Beten, who can’t manage to do the same and instead looks deeply anxious. “Your kind doesn’t belong here. We don’t want you,” they say, pressing forward, and the Force is humming warningly at Kix.

_ You should go, little one. _

_ I know, I’m trying,  _ Kix answers.

“You need to  _ let us pass,”  _ he tells the group, layers influence through his voice, firm. It works, for a moment, and Kix grabs Beten and pulls him through the group of people, who get out of their way.

They’re through, and past, and it could’ve been fine but one of them snarls, “Hey, wait!” and grabs Beten’s arm.

Beten flinches and Kix has had enough.

“Hands off him,” he snaps, shoves Beten behind him again (although he thinks that’s irritating his  _ vod  _ a little). “We’re  _ going.” _

“Not till we say so. You know what you clones have done to my planet?” and the man speaking pushes to the front of the group, glaring. “You and the Jedi reduced it to burning scrap and my people are struggling to survive. It’s about time somebody made you pay.”

Kix inclines his head, tersely. “I’m sorry that’s happened to your planet,” he says, with an effort at being calm, and the Force is just whispering,  _ go, little one, you shouldn’t stay here. _ “But we’re  _ going. Now.” _

There’s a shift in the group, Kix feels it in their emotions and sees it in their postures. They’re so  _ angry,  _ and bitter, and now they’re also  _ violent. _

The man crowds into his space, shorter than Kix but not bothered by that. “Yeah, I don’t think you are, clone.” He reaches out and shoves his palms flat against Kix’s chest, trying to force him back, and Kix grabs one of his hands and twists it, not enough to hurt but enough that he  _ could. _

_ “Now,”  _ he repeats, warning. He needs to get Beten back to the barracks.

Two more of the people move, suddenly, surging towards him and Beten with angry shouts, and Kix is  _ tired  _ of this, they need to go. And they need to tell their Generals about this. With a short, sharp swipe of his hand, he draws on the Force and flings the whole group back a few meters from them. “We’re  _ going,”  _ he says, fiercely, to Beten. “Come on.”

~~~

Beten does his best to ignore the terrified shouts of the people behind him, just follows as closely behind Kix as he can. They'll come back later, maybe with General Skywalker, and _ he _ won't let the crowds be angry. They wouldn't _ dare _ attack a Jedi… would they?

He doesn't  _ know _ anymore, they were so _ furious _ and he thinks they blame the Jedi for the war as much as they blame the clones- even though it's not the _ Jedi’s _ fault, all of this. If anything it's their own Senate and Count Dooku who are to blame for the whole mess. But for some reason, most people don't see it that way.

Clones and Jedi are easier to blame, Beten thinks. They are the faces of the war. 

With the war ending, what's going to happen to him, to his brothers? Will they be sent to Kamino to live out the rest of their useless lives? Will they all be _ terminated? _

He doesn't know. He doesn't think the Jedi know either, and he's not even sure they've been _ thinking _ about it. They need to be, though. Because if _ this _ is what the general public thinks of them…

They're going to need the Jedi just to keep from getting killed the instant the war is over.

Beten thinks the people are afraid of Kix now.

He shivers a bit, hugs himself with one arm, shaking his head. That was _ bad, _ they were all so close and reaching, he doesn't- he isn't going to go back out without the General around anymore, he decides.

It's not safe. Coruscant isn't safe for clones.

Gods.

~~~

Kix has only gotten angrier by the time they get back to the barracks, because Beten is so anxious and Kix didn’t get the supplies he needed when he has  _ wounded, _ and all of this is going on but he’s not even sure anybody will care enough to try to fix it. Not unless it makes the Senate look bad.

Harming civilians is also a serious offense. He was careful, and it was in self-defense, but between that and the fact he was carrying a saber, using the Force… at the very least, he’d terrified them.

Just what he needs.

He marches into the barracks with Beten hovering behind him, looks around for his COs. Rex and General Tano are standing and talking with Fives, and General Skywalker’s here today too, talking to Jesse and looking too exhausted. Tuck says that at least their General  _ has  _ been sleeping, but it’s clear that he hasn’t been sleeping  _ well. _

“General!” Kix calls, and as he expected, both Skywalker and Tano turn to look at him and Beten. Kix marches over towards Rex and General Tano, beckoning sharply for Skywalker to join them, and Fives and Jesse awkwardly excuse themselves (as they often do when Kix is mad, he’s noticed). “We need to talk to you.”

Rex and General Tano look tired, as usual. But Kix knows for a fact that Rex is getting enough sleep, because he’s been dogging his Commander about it constantly. He wishes he could do the same to the rest of the battalion, though; nobody’s doing too well right now. Jesse’s a karking disaster - Kix is more or less forcing him to eat and sleep. It’s exhausting.

Kix has complaints of one kind or another with half the men in this battalion right now, but there’s nothing he can do about that, except (of course) worry.

“What’s wrong, Kix?” General Skywalker asks, tersely.

Beten is not looking at Skywalker. Beten is better about it than most of the 607th (at least, so Kix has heard), but a lot of Skywalker’s battalion has gotten a lot more nervous around him again. There’s just too much tension, these days.

“We went out to get supplies,” Kix says, sharp, “and we didn’t make it to the shop. There’re protestors on the street today. We got harrassed and some people tried to pick a fight so we came back.”

Rex and General Tano exchange looks, then Rex says, “We had a similar problem when we went out earlier. Just yelling, but more than normal.”

“I’m going to need one of you Generals to take me back out to get supplies,” Kix says, “in the next few days at least.”

Anakin crosses his arms, shifts his weight. “I can do it, Kix,” he growls, and Kix nods gratefully at him.

“Good. Maybe tomorrow.” He needs bacta and bandages and pain meds and some specialized medicines as soon as he can get them.

Anakin nods and leaves, without even  _ looking  _ at General Tano and Commander Rex. Kix frowns a little, sees both Rex and Tano look down, tiredly. This is not the way things should be.

As he has the thought, Naas comes hurrying over, arms wrapped tight around his stomach. He doesn’t look good, and normally Kix would sit him down for an examination, but he already knows and can feel the source of the problem, the Force pressing hot and close against Naas, who’s trying to push it all away again. Kix sighs, touches their  _ vod’ika’s  _ shoulder. “What do you need, Naas?”

“It  _ hurts,”  _ Naas rasps angrily, frustrated. “I can’t figure out my shields, I don’t- I don’t  _ get it.” _

Kix listens to the Force for a moment, can feel the Dark circling around the point of hot and cold and light that is Naas’ signature. “Have you tried imagining armor?” he asks, tiredly.

“Yeah, I tried  _ all  _ the stupid tricks,” Naas snaps. “It’s not  _ working.  _ I want to see- General Kenobi.”

General Kenobi’s shields still seem to be the most helpful thing for Naas - General Kenobi has suggested that some of the other Jedi may be able to craft shields that last longer, but the only Jedi Naas lets in his head besides Kenobi are General Skywalker and Tano, and Kix doesn’t think that will change any time soon. So Kix nods, turns to Tano.

“Do you know where General Kenobi is today?”

“Probably at the Temple,” she says. “The Council’s been meeting a lot.”

“Alright. Thanks, sir.” Kix nudges Naas’ shoulder, walks him toward the doors of the barracks. “I’ll take you, and we’ll find him.” He reaches for the Force, grabs onto the Light even though it’s hard to find, and threads it into the Force around Naas, trying to clear away some of the Dark. It works, a little, and Naas sighs, straightens his shoulders just a little.

Kix just can’t expel the rest of the Dark, though. Not with so much of it weighing down on  _ him,  _ too.

As they’re just about to leave the barracks (Kix resisting putting an arm around Naas, because he’s not looking forward to getting him past the protestors to the Temple), Je’kai comes after them, frowning. “Where are you two going?”

“To the Temple,” Kix explains. “We’re going to try and find Kenobi, get him to give Naas more shields.”

Je’kai looks at Naas, who doesn’t seem  _ okay  _ by any stretch of the word, and over at Rex and Tano and Beten. “Can I come?”

“Please,” Naas says, sincerely, nodding, and Je’kai smiles just a little at their  _ vod’ika. _

“Let me just get some things and I’ll join you.”

~~~

Je'kai deliberately doesn't let himself _ think _ as he comes back over to his _ vode, _ slinging a pack over his shoulders. “Let's go, then,” he says, and Kix nods, turning back towards the entrance to the barracks. Thankfully, the Temple isn't too far away, so they don't have to risk forcing their way through _ too _ many violent crowds.

Although maybe it would be good if there's a protest on the Temple steps right now, to distract the guards-

No. He's not thinking about that. It's better that way.

The area right outside the barracks is, thankfully, clear of civilians for the most part, but as soon as they get out onto one of the civilian walkways that leads to the Temple, their path is choked with people all holding signs and shouting. Naas looks _ terrified, _ and Je'kai puts a careful hand on his painted pauldron, steadying and protective all at once, and he glares at anyone who even _ looks _ like they're considering approaching.

Naas is his _ vod'ika, _ and Je'kai would do anything to protect him.

(And isn't that the whole point?)

Eventually they make it through the press of people to the Temple, and just as Je'kai had expected (hoped), the guards are busy trying to keep back a group of angry protesters. Several of them are holding a sign that reads  _ stop cloning violence _ in bloody red Aurebesh, and he can't help wincing.

_ I'm sorry, _ he thinks, to himself, and wishes that the words meant  _ something, _ anything at all.

He's sorry.

But what good will that be?

None.

~~~

The Temple guards only give them a cursory glance as they walk in, because they have other things to be focused on; Kix knows, understands why they all hate the war so much, but he can’t really find much sympathy for the protestors anyway. They’re just angry, and blaming everyone but the people who are really responsible for this war to begin with, and Naas feels like he’s doing even  _ worse  _ now.

The Temple still feels so  _ Light,  _ though.

Kix doesn’t understand it, but for once he’s intensely grateful for the heavy, heavy warmth that is the Temple’s Light and peace. He runs his hand over his tattoos with a sigh, looks around to see if he can find a Jedi or another guard who might know where Kenobi is.

He’s not sure if they’ll be able to talk to him right away, especially if he’s in a meeting. Kix’s understanding (from Skywalker) is that Council meetings take a while, but at least they can ask, so he starts walking down the hall that leads toward the library, if he remembers right. The Temple is  _ huge,  _ and the only place Kix can reliably get to is the medbay, but at least they’re bound to run into  _ someone  _ eventually.

As it turns out, they don’t meet anyone helpful until they get to, as Kix hoped, the library. There’s an old Human woman working at a table, with what looks like actual  _ paper,  _ old, by the looks of it. Kix walks over to her, with his  _ vode  _ following him, and hesitates a moment before speaking to her. He doesn’t know who she is, so he doesn’t know how he should address her - he ends up awkwardly asking, “Ma’am, would you happen to know where General Obi-Wan Kenobi is?”

The woman  _ hmphs _ a little, pauses to look up at him. She has sharp eyes, very intelligent. “The Jedi Council was meeting today. If they’re wise,” she says, as if she doubts that somewhat, “they’ll have taken a recess by now. You can always go see.”

“Thank you,” Kix says, hastily turning around and shrugging a little at Naas. They walk a bit away from the woman, and Kix crosses his arms. “It’s almost 1200, I’d think they’d be at lunch.”

Naas shivers a little. “The whole Council?”

Kix sighs, touches Naas’ arm. “It’ll be fine, Naas. I don’t think General Kenobi will let them talk to you.”

It’s a testament to how much Naas needs help shielding that he just swallows and nods, and Kix sighs and heads out of the library. He  _ thinks  _ he can find the Council on his own (really the woman here in the library intimidates him too much and he doesn’t want to ask her).

“We should look for them in their cafeteria first,” Kix says, since unless  _ all  _ the Jedi are as crazy as Kenobi they’re probably eating now, “and then if they aren’t there we can go wait outside the Council chambers.” He doesn’t particularly  _ want  _ to wait outside the Council chambers - he’s been there once, and the Force is so heavy there that it tires him out.

“We could save ourselves some time,” Je’kai says, “and I can check the Council chambers while you go to the cafeteria.”

Kix shrugs, nodding. Je’kai feels anxious, and Kix figures the Temple is about his least favorite place to be. Naas doesn’t much like it either, so quicker is better.

_ I would not leave him by himself, little one,  _ the Force hums, and Kix sighs.

“Sure, Je’kai. Just hurry up, I wanna get back to the barracks soon.”

Je’kai nods, hurries off, and Kix grabs Naas’ shoulder, smiling a little. “Come on,  _ vod’ika.” _

Kix takes a couple wrong turns, but he asks the Force which way to go, and the Force directs him to a group of bright, steady Force-signatures that he guesses is the Council, and when they get close enough to the cafeteria he can hear voices, so he follows those.

As he’s figured out, Je’kai comms him and says he didn’t find them. Kix says that’s fine, they’ll meet him there. And then he deals with the problem of actually trying to coax Naas  _ into  _ the Temple cafeteria because, for obvious reasons, there are Jedi everywhere.

“I don’t like this,” Naas says, and Kix sighs and nods.

“I’ll go find Kenobi and you wait here, okay?”

Naas agrees, but as it turns out, they don’t have to worry about it - Kenobi comes out and, when they explain the problem, sits Naas down and says he can put a few shields in place before he and the Council go back to their meeting.

Kix thinks the General looks tired.

It’s not very long before the Council, Generals Windu and Plo at their head, comes out of the cafeteria, chatting, and Kix leans over to tap General Kenobi on the shoulder before any of the Councillors can bother him. Kenobi straightens, pushes himself to his feet, and holds out a hand to help Naas up too.

“Is that better?” he asks, kindly, and Naas nods, scooting back over by Kix and not looking at the Councillors. “Good.”

“We’ll just walk with you, if that’s okay, sir,” Kix says, awkwardly. “Je’kai came too and he was looking for you in the Council chambers.”

“Alright.” Kenobi smiles encouragingly. “How is the battalion? Both of them.”

Kix doesn’t particularly feel like giving the truthful answer to that question in front of the entire Jedi Council, so he just shrugs a little. “Okay, all things considered.”

Naas shakes his head wordlessly, although Kix thinks he’s doing better now.

The Force still feels  _ off,  _ though. Maybe that’s just him, but he doesn’t like it anyway.

“Indeed,” Kenobi says, wryly. “And what about Ahsoka and Anakin?”

Kix sighs. “Don’t really know, sir.”

Kenobi nods, and he’s quiet the rest of the way to the Council chambers, although occasionally he smiles over at Naas and Kix. Kix tries to ignore the Council itself, just focuses on keeping an eye on Naas in case he gets too anxious.

For all the Light in the Temple, he thinks he’ll still be glad to get back to his  _ vode  _ and his patients. Things are too confused today.

When they walk into the huge, gleaming hall that leads to the Council room itself, the Force goes  _ tight,  _ sharp, and Kix almost stops walking; the Council hesitates for a moment too. Naas makes a small noise, shakes his head hard, and Kix looks around, sees nothing but Je’kai walking towards them, and the Force isn’t  _ clear. _

_ What the kriff are you saying?  _ Kix thinks, frustrated, but he doesn’t get much of a response from the Force. Just a vague sort of  _ not safe,  _ which he understood already.

The protesting, maybe.

“Felt this all day, I have,” Master Yoda says, a bit weary. “The protestors anger, I think it is.”

Wonderful. Kix sighs, rubbing his face, and puts his arm around Naas. “Thank you for your help, General Kenobi.”

“Of course.” Kenobi smiles, nods to Je’kai as the Council files into the chambers and he follows. “Be careful out there today.”

“Don’t have to tell me twice,” Kix mutters, watches the doors swing shut with a thud and turns to go. The Force is still twisting and constricted in the pit of his stomach and Kix isn’t sure he wants to go back into the crowds of protestors if it feels like  _ this  _ right now.

All of a sudden Naas stops walking, making Kix stop too, and looks over at Je’kai,  _ staring. _ Kix looks too, doesn’t get  _ why  _ Naas is freaking out, but then Je’kai looks down and the Force  _ howls,  _ no words, just  _ warning,  _ and the hall echoes with the muffled roar of an  _ explosion  _ just seconds before the ornate doors to the Council chambers rip off their hinges in a surge of fire and light.

~~~

Ahsoka is sitting with Rex on his bunk, half in his lap, eyes closed as he lightly rubs at a spot of tension on her montrals, when her wristcomm pings. She grumbles, doesn't bother to open her eyes- she's comfy and _ tired _ (she'd barely gotten _ any _ sleep last night, because of the nightmares)- just taps her comm and says, sleepily, “Ahsoka here.”

_ “Ahsoka,” _ and it's Master Plo and he sounds  _ horrified, _ which is enough to wake her up a little,  _ “you should come to the Temple immediately. There's been an attack. A trooper has bombed the Council chambers and Obi-Wan is gravely injured-” _

“What?” Ahsoka sits straight up, feels Rex tensing behind her, cold dread swallowing the pit of her stomach. “Who would _ do that?” _

_ “Unfortunately, someone you know very well.” _ Plo pauses, and she's already leaping up, jamming her feet into her boots and waiting for Rex to strap on the rest of his armor so they can go.  _ “Commander Je'kai, of the 607th.” _

_ No. _ How could that _ happen? _ Je'kai would never- she shakes her head numbly, takes off running for the Temple, Rex keeping pace right beside her. “But Master, I know Je'kai, and he'd never do anything like that!” She doesn't _ understand. _

_ “Nonetheless, he has done it, and has already confessed to the crime. Please hurry- I must focus now.” _

The protestors are just _ in the way. _ Ahsoka shoves past them, sprints up the steps to the Temple, makes her way inside. Everyone is rushing around, looking as horrified and  _ sick _ as Ahsoka herself feels, and they move aside for her without question.

By the time they make it to the hall outside the Council room, she's been able to smell smoke for a few minutes. The scene that greets her is- awful: the ornate wooden doors have been torn completely off their hinges and tossed to the ground like toys in a child's fit of temper. Obi-Wan is laid out on the floor, Kix crouching over him with Master Yoda, slowly easing a chunk of wood out of Obi-Wan's stomach (oh hells); Windu is on one knee, a bloody hand pressed against his shoulder, his teeth gritted. Most of the Council is sporting minor wounds of some kind. Naas is hunched over, crying and shaking his head, and Je'kai-

There are a pair of Temple guards cuffing Je'kai, and on the ground in front of him are an empty pack and a remote detonator.

Je'kai himself looks _ exhausted. _

Anakin comes storming up, then, snarls out, “How _ could _ you?” and his eyes are _ so _ dark and furious and he lifts one hand, threatening, and Je'kai _ flinches. _

“Anakin!” Ahsoka snaps, shoving between her Master and his Commander. “Don't, what are you _ thinking?” _

“Look around you, Ahsoka,” Anakin hisses. “Look at _ Obi-Wan!” _

“I did,” she says, “but that doesn't mean- don't you _ dare,” _ because his hand is clenching into a claw and she can _ feel _ the Force coalescing around him, Dark and thick.

“Skywalker,” Windu snaps out, sharply, “kriffing restrain yourself.”

Anakin _ growls, _ but when Rex steps up next to Ahsoka, defensive, he subsides, dropping his hand and stepping back. “You will _ pay _ for this,” he grits out, then turns and hurries over to Obi-Wan on the ground.

Ahsoka can't even _ breathe. _

~~~

Rex waits until he’s very sure his General is focused on Kenobi, not Je’kai, then turns on the Temple guards. “Give him to me,” he snaps, reaching out to take Je’kai’s arm. The guards don’t let go of him right away, and Rex glares at them. “Let me worry about him, there’s other shit to deal with here.”

Like what the kriff  _ happened. _ Because Rex doesn’t believe for a  _ second  _ that Je’kai just up and decided to bomb the Jedi Council, especially not when his  _ vode  _ are having a rough go of it already.

The guards hesitate a moment longer, and just when Rex is beginning to get angry, they let go and hurry over to the Councillors, and Rex focuses on Je’kai because he can do something with this. He can’t help with Kenobi’s awful wound, so he won’t think about that right now, because  _ gods,  _ yeah, he thinks Kenobi’s the one that told the Council about Mortis, but that doesn’t change the fact that the General has always cared about him and his  _ vode,  _ and he doesn’t deserve this, so.

“What the  _ hells,  _ Je’kai?” he hisses, easing his grip on his  _ vod’s  _ arm (but not much). “Care to explain yourself?”

“I had no choice,” Je’kai says, flat and completely exhausted, so Rex believes him. Gods damn it. “Let them do what they will, Rex, it’s deserved.”

“Like  _ hells  _ I will,” Rex growls. “What do you mean you had no choice?” He believes his  _ vod,  _ of course he does, but he needs better answers than this.

He should help Naas, too, but he can’t do both things at once, and this is more important at the moment.

“I can’t say,” Je’kai says, but before Rex can get frustrated, he glances over at Naas with a meaningful expression and says, “But you know what I’d do to protect my  _ vod’ike.” _

Kriffing hells. “Yeah, I know.” Rex rubs his forehead, considering. Maybe if Je’kai can give the Council specifics, they’ll let him go or at least take it easy on him. As long as Rex can keep his General from getting to Je’kai first, since  _ that’s  _ apparently a concern.

He can’t  _ believe  _ this. There’s still smoke everywhere, and Kix and Master Yoda are both closed to the world trying to help Kenobi, and Ahsoka and Anakin are crouched by them, anxious, and Naas has plugged his ears and closed his eyes and isn’t looking at anybody.

“They’ll execute me for this,” Je’kai says, weary. “That’s only the right thing to do. I deserve it,” and he shrugs a little.

Rex scowls, fierce, and just keeps himself from gripping Je’kai’s arm too tight. “No, they karking won’t.” He’s not going to let that happen.

Ahsoka gets up from next to Anakin, walks over to Naas and carefully pulls him into a hug; Rex is glad, hopes it helps both of them.

“They will,” Je’kai insists. “You have to let this happen.” He’s not as smart as Rex gave him credit for if he really thinks Rex is gonna just  _ let them  _ take him. His  _ vod  _ sighs, though, and Rex tries to push down some of the anger and focus. “All I ask is- protect them. They don’t know what to do, if I’m not there.”

Rex wants to snap out that they aren’t going to lose him at all, again, but he exhales slowly and grits his teeth instead, says, “Don’t I always?” trying for wry humor. It falls flat, but he feels less angry now, at least.

Je’kai nods, though, sighing a bit again. “You do. That’s why I trusted you with them in the first place, on Umbara.” Rex swallows, inclines his head even though Je’kai isn’t looking back at him. He knows what it means for Je’kai to say that, he thinks. “I’m not- I can’t talk about this, really, but they should be- I think he’s safe now,” Je’kai says, glances over at Naas, who’s still holding onto Ahsoka very tight.

“Good,” Rex says, firmly. That’s the whole point, after all: making sure their  _ vode  _ are safe.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have some sort-of fluff? there's lots of self-indulgent Obitine because we love those two a lot
> 
> leave us a comment if you like the chapter ^_^

The world is white and everything hurts.

He tries to forget that, to sink into blessed numbness, the warm, reaching arms of unconsciousness, but something won't let him _ go, _ holds him hostage to the _ pain. _ He doesn't want it, the pain, he wants the quiet, the silence, the darkness. He wants to _ not be here. _

Please. Anywhere but here.

It _ hurts. _

But he can't go away, something- someone- needs him, he _ knows that. _ Someone is _ hurting _ and choking and he can help, he _ has _ to help. “Anakin…”

“Shh, Master,” a voice says, Anakin, good, “save your strength. It's going to be okay.”

He's too _ angry, _ his brother. He needs to not be. There is more going on here than anyone knows. “Anakin, don't-” and he chokes on a ragged cough,  _ oh Force it hurts, _ “-don't be angry.”

“You let me worry about myself,” Anakin says, and that's not _ good enough. _

He _ hurts, hurts, hurts. _

“Clear your mind,” he manages, “find the truth-  _ ah,” _ and he sucks in a sharp breath, clenches his fist around something, someone's hand? It _ hurts, oh Force please. _

_ I know, Master,  _ Anakin says, floods him with soothing warmth, chasing the pain away, and he nearly sobs with relief.  _ You need to sleep now, please. We'll be okay. _

Sleep. He _ wants it. _ Everything hurts and he can't- he doesn't want the pain anymore, please, he wants to not hurt. 

_ Go to sleep, it's alright, you can, _ and a hand soothes over his head, that's comforting, it helps, and so he shudders and _ lets go. _

~~~

His  _ brother  _ did this.

Naas cannot, cannot do this, everything  _ burns  _ and Ani is so angry and scared and he almost hurt Je'kai, Naas feels it, and Je'kai  _ did this. _ It was better that General Tano was hugging him but everything else is  _ pain _ and they are going to  _ kill his brother,  _ they're going to take Je'kai and they can't, they can't, they can't.

And General Kenobi feels like pain and dying and Naas doesn't want him to die, and if he dies then who's going to help Naas and who's going to help Ani and what will happen to the 212th and Naas’ General?

The Jedi take Je'kai, they take Je'kai and Rex  _ lets them,  _ and then they're taking General Kenobi away too and then one of the Jedi, the bald man with the hurt shoulder that feels like  _ tired, anger, confusion, _ comes over to Naas, oh no oh no.

“What do you know about this?” he asks.

“I don't- I didn't know he was going to- I mean I felt it but it was too late, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I don't-”

Captain Rex comes and puts a hand on his shoulder, says, “You should let someone else question him, General Windu. And later. You're not gonna get anything helpful right now.”

Naas leans toward Rex, fidgeting, until the General sighs and shakes his head and says “Very well,” and walks away.

“Why'd you let them take him?” Naas rasps, shivering. “I don't know why he did it, I thought- I don't understand. I  _ don't know, _ Rex.” Rex shouldn't have let them take Je'kai, they didn't- They'll recondition his brother and he'll never get him  _ back. _

“Just until we understand, Naas. I don't think it was his idea to do it. When we know why he did it, then we can help him.” Rex is not lying, Naas feels it.

But he is unsure.

It burns, everything is screeching against General Kenobi's shields and Naas curls up in his mind behind the shields and tries not to cry anymore. They can't take his brother, Kenobi can't die, Ani can't be so angry. He wants to be by himself and not think about all of this. It's  _ horrible. _

They make he and Kix go sit with a guard and the little green Jedi, and Naas shivers and they ask him and Kix so many questions about it and all they can say is they didn't know, didn't know, didn't know.

When they come back out, Ani and General Tano are gone and Rex is waiting, hugs them both. “You two should go back to the 501st's barracks. I'm going to tell the 607th what's happened. For now I think it would be best not to talk about most of this.”

Naas shivers and nods. He doesn't want to anyway. He wants to go back to his battalion, but they will be  _ worse _ than the 501st, and he wants Brii. And Kix, Kix is always  _ better. _

“Someone needs to talk to General Skywalker,” Kix says, seriously. “I'm worried about him.”

“I can try.” Rex shakes his head. “I don't know if he'll  _ want  _ to talk to me. Either way, I'm going to join him and Ahsoka in the medbay after I talk to the 607th, so Kix, I need you to let Jesse know he's in charge for now.”

Naas grabs Rex's arm, hugs him hard, because that's better, doesn't mean to be shaking but he is. “Please protect them,” he says, not even sure who he means, just that he himself can't, he's just Naas,  _ naas,  _ nothing, and he's too  _ afraid,  _ all the karking time, so he can't.

“Sure, Naas. It'll be okay,” he says, so that's good. Naas shivers and lets go and wraps his arms around his stomach.

~~~

Ahsoka sits in the hard plastoid chair she'd dragged over by Obi-Wan's bed in the medbay and stares at the Jedi who is basically a second Master to her, her hands clenching white-knuckled around the arms of the chair. He looks so- she doesn't know, but he's unconscious and pale and on _ heavy _ painkillers, and Kix had to take a break to rest because this is so bad.

She wants to know what _ happened, _ but she's not even sure who to ask.

Rex comes up to her, after a few minutes of just _ sitting, _ her and Anakin watching in silence, and he grabs his own chair and pulls it up next to hers, sits down. She decides she doesn't _ care _ so much about the fact that there are Jedi around, and she reaches over, takes Rex's hand, swallowing hard.

“Hey,” Rex says, tiredly, and she tries to smile at him but can't quite manage it.

“Are they okay?” she asks, raspy, notices Anakin tensing a little and glancing over, just a bit. He looks and feels so _ guilty, _ and she can tell he regrets snapping at Je'kai.

“Yeah. I mean, you know Naas, but- yeah,” he says, soft and quiet, and she closes her eyes.

“What did Je'kai tell you?” She needs to _ know. _ The Je'kai she's familiar with would _ never _ do this, she doesn't understand.

~~~

Rex shakes his head, weariness and frustration weighing against his shoulders. “He said he had no choice. I don't-” He hesitates, because clearly Je'kai had felt unable to explain further, and so he lowers his voice when he continues, careful. “He sort of implied that somebody threatened some of the men.” If that's the case, Rex is going to find whoever made his  _ vod  _ do this and make them regret it.

“Who would do that?” Ahsoka snarls, scowling, her hand tightening around his. Rex glances at his General, and Anakin's just staring at Kenobi, his face pale and eyes dark. “He has to  _ tell someone,  _ if he does they'll probably let him off lighter.”

“I'm going to talk to him again, if I can,” Rex says. “I know he didn't do it on his own.” He's got to make sure Je'kai gets a better chance than Ahsoka did.

Ahsoka shakes her head. “I don't understand why someone would  _ do that. _ Why not just bomb the Temple themselves, why make a clone, especially  _ Je'kai,  _ do it?”

“You saw the crowds today,” Rex sighs, rubbing his thumb over the back of Ahsoka's hand. “People don't like the war and the clones. If you wanted to make clones look bad…” He shrugs. “Bomb the Jedi Temple.”

“But the  _ Jedi Council,  _ and  _ Je’kai,”  _ Ahsoka says. “Anakin’s Commander. With everything that’s been going on with-” She hesitates and glances over at Anakin, who’s just staring at his knees. “Anakin, lately, it’s a hell of a coincidence.”

“Maybe not a coincidence, then,” Rex says, weary.

Anakin shifts in his chair, rubbing his eyes. “Someone’s out to get me,” he says, flat and heavy. “Someone’s out to get me, and I don’t know who I can trust.”

Rex doesn’t say what he wants to, that Anakin can trust them, because it’s no longer that simple. He’s being cut off from all of them and Rex doesn’t understand how, doesn’t understand  _ why. _ So he just says, low, “I’m sorry, General.”

“I want to trust you,” Anakin sighs, shaky, sounds worn to the bone, and Rex looks down at his knees, chest tight. “But I’m- scared.” Rex swallows, nods, and Anakin continues, low and anxious, “I think someone’s trying to isolate me, but Mortis- I didn’t even know about it myself until Windu unlocked those memories, so how…”

“I don’t know, Master,” Ahsoka says. “But I promise you can at least trust Rex and I. I- want to say you can trust Obi-Wan, too, because it feels like he’s telling the truth, but I don’t know. Nothing makes  _ sense.” _

Rex sighs. “Sir, it’s just… all three of us agreed to keep it a secret. Kenobi was the one who told us we needed to in the first place, and we did our mission reports together so we wouldn’t tip the Council off. I wouldn’t have thought anything changed that much, I don’t know.”

They knew and they didn’t tell Anakin. And now he remembers it but he hasn’t even been able to talk to them because one of them  _ told the Council. _ Even though Rex would have sworn, not very long ago, that none of them ever would.

“This doesn’t feel like something any of you would do,” Anakin says, and Rex has honestly never been so glad for Anakin just  _ talking  _ to them before, even though this is still terrible. “But who else could it have been? Does  _ anyone  _ else know anything?”

Rex swallows a bit. “Well, I told Cody some, but- just about the chip being triggered, because I hurt his General so I owed it to him, but- I didn’t even tell him that was you, I just said it happened.” Cody knows what’s happening now, but he hadn’t known anything happened to Anakin. Rex didn’t tell even  _ him  _ that.

Anakin swears, shoving a hand through his hair, then asks, “Could someone have taken it directly from your head?” It’s a desperate question, not likely, although none of this makes sense anyway so perhaps it’s a fair query.

“I don’t know, I would’ve thought…” Rex shakes his head. “I’m not a Jedi but they taught us to recognize people being in our heads, on Kamino, so I don’t… I don’t really think so.”

And he’s so careful of those memories, surely he would have noticed. And Kenobi and Ahsoka… Kenobi has good shields, and Ahsoka’s not unfamiliar with having someone else in her thoughts, they would have  _ felt  _ something like that.

~~~

Ahsoka swallows, shakes her head. “Only someone _ really good _ would be able to get past my shields without me noticing,” she says, tiredly. “I guess it's possible, but- I haven't exactly interacted with that many people since, well, since Mandalore.”

_ “Kark _ it,” Anakin growls, shoving his hand through his hair again. “I _ want _ to trust you guys, I really do, I just- I need some help, here!”

“I don't know what's going on either, none of us do,” Ahsoka says, fast.

“I'm _ aware _ of that, Snips.”

She sighs. “Skyguy… I'm sorry.”

“Me too.”

There's silence, then. Ahsoka holds tight to Rex's hand and stares at Obi-Wan, pale and still in his bed, until there's a brief commotion and Cody comes over.

He looks _ terrified, _ somehow, even though his face is as blank as ever.

“Hi, Cody,” Ahsoka says, weary.

This is all a  _ nightmare. _

~~~

Rex gets up from his chair, goes to pull his brother into a hug, tight. “Sorry,  _ ori’vod,”  _ he says.

Cody nods, pulls away and finds himself a chair, pulls it up by Kenobi and sets his hand on his General’s shoulder. “They told me Je’kai did this,” he says, rough. “Do you have an explanation for that?”

Rex shrugs, exhausted, and repeats what he already told Ahsoka and Anakin. “I don’t know anything else about it, though.”

Cody nods, jerky, and keeps looking at General Kenobi. Rex knows that Kenobi is one of the only people besides Rex himself that Cody really, unflinchingly trusts and cares about, so this is hard on him. Rex sighs, sitting back down, and steeples his fingers against his chin.

Anakin’s right. Somebody has it out for him, that much is clear. The GAR has never liked him, and he’d said that the Council tried to refuse him apprenticeship as a boy, but this is worse than it’s ever been, and they can’t  _ help. _ That’s part of why Rex can’t even really convince himself he thinks Kenobi told the Council. This has hurt Anakin so much - Rex doesn’t know Kenobi well but he’s fought with him enough in this war, he  _ knows  _ Kenobi wouldn’t want to hurt Anakin this badly, so…

So something that he’s always taken for granted isn’t the same anymore, or has been a lie this whole time. And that terrifies him.

Eventually the healers come back, Jedi healers, and shoo them away (except Cody and Anakin, who stubbornly refuse to back off more than a few feet), so Rex follows Ahsoka back to the barracks. There are no more crowds of protestors; most of the people have disappeared, and in their place are Temple Guards and shocktroopers, blocking off the Temple steps.

In the barracks, as often happens, the 501st and the 607th and the 212th have all mingled in the mess and the 501st barracks. Everyone’s anxious, Rex can almost feel it, and Fives and Jesse and Dogma and Echo and Kix and a few others remaining from Torrent hurry up to them.

“What’s happening, sir?” Fives asks Ahsoka, anxiously. “Are the Generals okay?”

“What have you heard so far?” she answers.

“I told them what I know.” Kix shrugs, as if to imply  _ so not much. _ “That Je’kai did it and we don’t know why and Kenobi’s alive for now.”

“That’s basically it. Obi-Wan is stable, I think- Anakin and Cody are with him,” she answers, with a soft sigh, rubbing her forehead over her eyes.

“Good,” Kix says, although he still looks anxious. Of course.

“Kix, if you still need those supplies, I can go with you,” Ahsoka suggests, and for a second, Kix looks surprised, as if he’d forgotten he needed to go anywhere. Then he shakes his head, hesitant.

“We can go tomorrow. I… I should just go back to my patients now. And you need to rest, sir.”

Ahsoka nods, and Rex puts an arm around her shoulders, because he’s worried. “Alright, fair enough,” she says. Kix nods, walks away, and after quietly excusing himself Jesse hurries after him.

Dip, who came over with their other  _ vode, _ shakes his head and gives them both a tight, wry smile. “Dunno about you, sirs, but I’m starting to think our battalions are cursed. Be careful with yourselves, why don’t you?” and he salutes and turns on his heel to go back to his bunk. Rex shakes his head a little; Dip was kidding, but his  _ vod’s  _ superstitious, and his drinking habit hasn’t really  _ improved  _ that little quirk.

The rest of his men disperse quietly, except Echo stops to hug Ahsoka first, which Rex thinks helps her. Then, when he’s left too, Rex nudges Ahsoka’s shoulder, lightly. “I think rest sounds like a good idea. Let’s go sit down.”

~~~

“That sounds nice,” Ahsoka agrees, leaning into Rex's side some and letting him steer her over towards his bunk. She really just wants to curl up with him and not have to _ think. _

He sits down, working at his armor, and she does the same, pulling off her boots and bracers and headdress (she'd left her shoulder armor here in the barracks when Master Plo commed) and leaning into his side with a sigh. Cursed, Dip had said. That's one explanation for it.

Mandalore wasn't the result of some ‘curse’, though. That was just poor leadership.

“I don't want to think,” she tells Rex, because she's _ tired _ and everything is just guilt and aching exhaustion and fear weighing her down, heavy and thick.

“Yeah, I know the feeling,” he says, and she hesitates before grabbing her fuzzy blanket and laying down, curling up small facing Rex.

“Everything is _ awful,” _ she says, feels small, hugs herself a little and shivers. She's supposed to be their _ General, _ she should be able to handle this- but instead, everything feels like it's _ choking _ her, and she can't breathe. 

Rex finishes with his armor, lays down facing her, under the blanket, and she scoots over to wrap her arms around him and press her forehead against his. It helps, him being _ close. _

“It really is,” he says, wry and almost _ amused, _ and she doesn't understand. “I'm not a fan.”

“That's an understatement,” she mumbles.

He snorts, a little, leans in to kiss her, and she kisses him back before tucking her head against his chest, burying her face and closing her eyes. She _ hates this. _ So much.

“I'm scared,” she admits, very soft. “For both of them.”

“Me too,” he says, equally quiet, running his fingers up and down her back headtail. She leans into the comfort of the touch, shuddering a bit.

“I don't know how I'm going to do this. How _ we’re _ going to do this.” Everything seems _ impossible. _

She just wants things to be _ normal _ again.

~~~

“I don't either,” Rex says, tired. He  _ hurts,  _ but he's almost too exhausted and worried to care. “Usually these things work out though, somehow.”

“Just…” Ahsoka hesitates. “What if it doesn't, this time?”

“I still don't know,” Rex says, wearily. “I have to assume it's going to, for now.” He sighs, curls further around Ahsoka because it's comforting. In turn, she tightens her grip on him and he feels her take a shivery breath and shake her head.

“I hope so,” she says, and she just sounds so  _ uncertain. _ Rex swallows past a lump in his throat and moves his hand from Ahsoka's headtail to her montrals. He doesn't know why she keeps wearing her headdress when it gives her a headache.

His  _ vode  _ are still talking, but Rex more or less tunes out the anxious hum of voices into background noise and takes a few deep breaths, trying to relax. It works, sort of, but then his throat just aches and he kind of wants to cry and he's sick of it. He swallows hard, again, and shakes his head a bit. “I'm so tired, Ahsoka. Everything  _ hurts,  _ all the time, but I can't- I used to be able to ignore it, but now I can't.” He's still not sure he even wants to. Maybe that's why, he doesn't know.

It's just that it doesn't feel  _ right,  _ this time, trying to forget that it hurts that he lost them. Because then maybe he'll forget them, too, and he can't  _ do that. _ So he can't just… not think, but he's not really sure this is better.

Ahsoka tilts her head up and kisses him, softly. “I'm sorry,” she rasps.

Shaking his head, Rex leans his forehead against hers with a shaky sigh. “It's okay.” It's so hard to breathe evenly, all of a sudden. He wants to go to sleep, and thinks Ahsoka does too. “It'll be okay. Maybe we should just go to sleep,  _ ner'jetii.” _

“That sounds good.” Ahsoka hesitates. “I'm afraid I'll dream, though.”

Rex rubs at his eyes, chuckles just a little. “Don't worry, ‘Soka,” he says, lightly. “I've got you.”

“Of course you do. You always have.”

For some reason, that forces tears out of Rex's eyes, and he cups a hand over Ahsoka's jaw and kisses her, steady. “My Jedi.  _ Ni kar'tayli gar darasuum.” _

~~~

Ahsoka sighs softly, closing her eyes. “What's that mean?” she asks, quietly, feels him smile a little against her lips.

“I love you.”

She likes it, she thinks. The words are fluid and rippling and they roll off Rex's tongue like- she's not sure, but she likes them. “Well, I love you too.”

Rex chuckles a little, although it's rough and raw, tugs her more into his chest, kisses her forehead. There's tears on his cheeks and she lifts one hand, carefully wipes them away, hums a bit and sighs. He's so _ close _ and she's exhausted, and she's afraid of the nightmares but he promised he's got her and of course he does, she trusts him, so she closes her eyes and snuggles as close to him as she can, wrapping her arms around him and clinging tight.

Everything may be going wrong, but she has her Rex, and she has herself, so she thinks- she thinks they'll make it through this.

And that's enough to let her huff out a long, slow breath and fall into sleep.

~~~

Satine gets the news about the Temple bombing the day it happens (which just so happens to be the very day after Obi-Wan had safely escorted her to Mandalore and headed back to Coruscant with a light promise to be safe) via a very awkward, stilted holocomm from Cody; it's not until a week later that she's able to leave her government for a few days and make the trip to Coruscant to see him.

She's allowed in the Temple medbay without question, and one of the medics shows her to the private room Obi-Wan is in. He's alone, which surprises her- she'd expected Cody or Anakin Skywalker to be with him. She's grateful, though.

He's asleep, too. Satine drags one of the more comfortable-looking chairs over to his bedside, smiles at the medic as they close the door behind her, and reaches out to take Obi's hand. He looks so _ fragile, _ pale and small and sleeping like this, without the protections of his Jedi robes and his personality, and it tugs at something she's long suppressed, because _ thinking _ too much of it just leaves her hollowed out and aching. She can't help running her fingers along his jawline, tracing over the stiff, bristly hair there, before trailing her fingers up over his nose, the arch of his cheekbone, his brows. She so _ rarely _ gets the chance to just- to _ learn _ him, his face, because if he was awake this would never be allowed. It's a comfort, though, being able to reassure herself that he's _ not dead, _ he's here, still alive.

And she- for this one moment, she allows herself to think this, that she loves him, always has, likely always will, no matter what.

Gods.

She is glad for the privacy of this room, right now, as she curls her slim hand around his larger one and brings it to her lips, kisses it, lightly, leans her forehead into it, resting her elbows on the mattress. She loves him, and she was _ terrified _ for him, and a part of her still worries his wound is too severe, and so she will make use of all the time she has to spend with him.

~~~

The light is still too bright, when he wakes up this time, although the pain is not as persistent. Obi-Wan doesn’t open his eyes, reaches for the blankets and finds it’s harder to move his hand than it should be. There’s weight on his fingers, and he realizes he can sense another person here, so- It’s a familiar enough signature that he blinks his eyes open, squints against the light and turns his head to look.

He recognizes the soft, ashy-blond hair immediately, and the Force-signature hums familiar and fits the name, suddenly.

“Satine?” he says, raspy. She’s asleep, he thinks, holding his hand and resting her cheek against it, pinning it to the bunk. Cody told him she was coming, but he’d thought she’d be here later. He’s happy to see her, either way. He smiles a little, to himself, and uses his free hand to pull the blankets up more.

It’s good she’s asleep, she’s probably working herself too hard.

Obi focuses on his breathing, matching it with the rise and fall of Satine’s shoulders, until he’s almost meditating and what pain the medicine isn’t blocking starts to dissipate. He manages that for a few minutes before Satine sighs (he can feel her breath on his hand) and shifts a little. Waking up, he guesses. She blinks a little, turns her head, cracks her eyes the rest of the way open, and looks at him for a second. Her eyes are the same color as her tunic: light, sharp blue. It’s a good color.

She takes a minute to really look  _ awake,  _ but when she actually focuses on him, she sits up, fast, pulling away with a quiet, “I’m sorry.”

Obi tries to pretend that he doesn’t feel disappointed. “What for?” he says, lightly, smiling a little. “It’s good to see you, Satine.”

“You too,” she says, with a soft smile. “I tried to get here sooner, but…” She trails off, shrugging meaningfully. Obi-Wan understands. She has a whole planet to put back in order; he supposes it’s a wonder she was able to come at all.

Satine reaches back over, almost tentative (not, he thinks, a word he would usually use to describe her), and settles her hand on his. Obi-Wan is glad for it, if he’s honest, and he turns his hand and curls his fingers around hers with a small sigh. “I’m surprised the great Duchess Satine had time for me at all,” he teases, fighting back a yawn. “I’m  _ most grateful _ you deigned to come see me, my dear.”

She smiles at him, warm and amused, and says, “I’ll always have time for my dashing Jedi Knight.”

“Well, I should hope so. After all, you owe me.”

Satine raises an eyebrow, although a smile’s pulling at her lips almost despite herself. “Oh,  _ I _ owe  _ you?” _ Her voice is sharp, but teasing still. As always. “Don’t be silly, Obi.”

“I am  _ never  _ silly,” Obi-Wan huffs. “I don’t know if you recall, but I recently saved you from a rather intimidating Sith who locked you in your own jail. So really, it is a  _ bit  _ embarrassing you didn’t come see me sooner.” He smirks at her, shakes his head in mock censure.

Satine laughs, then her smile gets very gentle, and Obi almost wants to look away. “And I am forever grateful to you, for coming when I call.” She runs her thumb over his hand, still smiling so soft, and then Obi-Wan does have to look down at his knees with a small smile of his own.

“It’s always my pleasure, Duchess.”

That is, perhaps, truer than she knows.

~~~

Satine really should control herself, she thinks, dropping her gaze to their intertwined hands. Just because he is-  _ bantering _ with her doesn't mean she can- she has to be careful, still. Because no matter what else happens, they are still Duchess as Jedi Master, and there is- nothing that can ever really happen between them. They both chose duty over pleasure, and so-

But she can't help the fact that just being in the same room as him makes her feel lighter and _ happier _ than she's been in, well- a week, technically, since that was the last time she saw him, but it'd been _ months _ before that.

“I did try to come sooner,” she says, after a moment, quietly. Pauses to let that sink in, then lifts her voice again,  _ nearly _ annoyed. “You know, you _ did _ promise me you'd be _ safe.” _ She casts an eye over him, almost _ disdainfully. _ “You did a _ terrible _ job.”

“It's hardly my fault,” Obi-Wan says, sighing. “How could I have known the _ Council chamber _ would be attacked? Honestly, Satine, I tried my best.”

She shakes her head, smiling just a little. “It's a shame,” and she tilts her head to one side. “The least the explosion could've done was singe off some of that _ horrible _ beard.” She brings her free hand up, lightly dares to run her fingertips over the offending hair (which really isn't as terrible as she makes it out to be, it's just fun to tease him about it) before pulling back, shaking her head.

Obi-Wan doesn't tense or anything like she'd feared; instead, he smiles, just a little, says, “I still don't understand why you hate it so much.”

“I _ told _ you, Obi,” she says, mock-annoyed, “it hides too much of your handsome face. Although, I suppose I could say it's beginning to grow on me.”

“I hope not, my dear,” he says, raising an eyebrow (and really, it's not _ fair, _ the way that little amused smirk hovers on the corner of his mouth, how's she supposed to _ not _ think about kissing him when he does that?). “I don't think even _ you _ could manage to make _ that _ look good.”

She _ laughs, _ she can't help it, shaking her head. “Obi-Wan,” she says, gently shoving his shoulder, “you're _ ridiculous.” _

_ Gods, _ this is all so- having him around is such a wonderful thing.

~~~

Satine doesn't smile like this often enough. Obi grins fondly at her, shakes his head. “I am most certainly not,” he says, archly. “How rude of you, Duchess - I'd have thought you had some manners.” Perhaps he is being a bit ridiculous right now, after all.

“Last I checked, I had more manners than _ you,”  _ Satine retorts, and Obi just snorts.

She's probably right, but of course he can't admit that to her. So he goes stubbornly quiet, just grins at her because he really is thankful she's here, and he doesn't so much care that she couldn't be here sooner.

After a moment, he sighs a bit, rubs his beard tiredly, and says, “I wonder if I should be concerned that  _ this,” _ he gestures along his torso with a slight grimace, “is the most peace I've had in a while.” Other than the pain, which at times makes it impossible to think - but no one's accused him of betraying Anakin, nobody's tried to make him decide how they should be dealing with the issue of Anakin's place in the Jedi Order after everything he's done, and nobody's brought up the end of the war or the protests. It's just been  _ quiet. _ He likes that more than he should.

Satine hums a little, skimming her thumb over his knuckles. “I think it does say something about the current state of affairs here.”

“I was afraid of that,” Obi says wryly, shaking his head. “I suppose that explains the bombing.” Cody had explained to him that Je'kai was responsible for the explosion, which Obi-Wan still finds rather hard to believe. Unfortunately, Cody has also refused to update him on the investigation because “he needs his rest.” Obi had called Cody a mother hen and that had ended that conversation.

“Cody told me a clone is at fault for that,” Satine says, a bit questioning, and looking at her he can tell she wants more details.

So does he, but Cody remains intransigent as ever.

“Yes, that's what he told me, too. I admit, I'm rather skeptical myself. The trooper they named has never seemed the terrorist type.”

“With everything else that's going on, perhaps there's more to this bombing than simple terrorism,” Satine says, frowning a little. “Or perhaps not- this clone may have just changed, I don't know. Either way…” and she trails off with a sigh.

Obi thinks it's highly unlikely that Je'kai could have changed so much without anyone knowing about it, but then perhaps he  _ was  _ angry enough at the Jedi over what has happened to his brothers and men… Obi doesn't know. “I suspect the former is the more likely option,” he says, wearily. “But nobody's telling me anything.”

Satine smiles at him, amusement making her eyes bright. “Well, stress isn't exactly beneficial to your current condition, but if you'd like, I could try to snoop around a bit and report back to you.”

_ “Satine,”  _ Obi-Wan says, teasing, “how absolutely scandalous of you. Whatever will everybody think?”

If she were a less fearsome woman, Obi would describe the little snort of laughter she lets out as a  _ giggle,  _ but he doesn't think she'd appreciate that. “You know me, Obi-Wan, scandal and I go hand in hand.”

“It's certainly beginning to seem that way,” Obi snorts, raising an eyebrow. “You have had some rather fascinating experiences lately. Your luck really isn't good, Satine.”

“I thought the Jedi didn't believe in such trivial things as  _ luck,”  _ she retorts, and shakes her head.

“Usually, no. The alternative is being terrified of whatever forces-” and he smiles at his own pun, “-are orchestrating these sorts of circumstances. Besides, as any of my men would tell you: no matter how skilled you are, without a healthy dose of luck or fate or the Force's intervention,” Obi personally believes it's the Force that's largely responsible for good or bad luck, but his men think that's ridiculous, “you're still going to end up dead on a field somewhere.” He smiles a bit. “It's a rather grim point of view, but they certainly seem to have a point.” If the fact that he's still alive right now is any indication, anyway.

~~~

Satine considers this, for a moment, then smiles and says, lightly, “From that point of view, my luck is actually quite good, then.” She hesitates just a moment before adding, “One could almost say that _ you're _ my good luck charm, since my continued survival seems to be mostly thanks to you.”

Obi-Wan looks down at his injury with a small sigh, says, “I'm not sure you'd better rely on _ me _ as a good luck charm. These days I seem a bit too fallible for that.”

“You've always attracted danger like a swarm of wasps,” she says, “even when you were a padawan. I guess now you just aren't running away fast enough.” She smiles, a little, tightens her fingers around his almost without thinking. “I do wish-” and she stops, shakes her head. “Never mind.”

“No,” he says, wryly, “I've developed a rather bad habit of facing everything head-on instead.”

“Of course you have,” and she shakes her head, smiling a little. Having him _ close _ and- safe to an extent is so… it's _ good. _ “You've gotten _ reckless, _ my dear.”

_ “Reckless?” _ He sounds so _ offended. _ “I take _ calculated risks, _ Satine, for good reason.”

“Yes, and you're still reckless,” she tells him, shaking her head. “One of these days, you aren't going to make it out of one of those stunts you pull, and I-” no, she can't say that. “You should be more careful,” she says instead, sighing, going serious. “There are… many people who do not want to lose you.”

“If I am reckless,” he says, solemnly stubborn, “it's because people would be hurt if I didn't pull these sort of ‘stunts'. If I hadn't blocked the explosion in the Council the others would have been hurt worse.”

_ “That's _ how you got hurt?” Her voice is quiet, maybe too quiet. And as much as she wants to reprimand him for this, it's- this is who he _ is, _ the man she- cares so deeply for, and she wouldn't want him to be any different.

Still.

“Obi-Wan, you are not expendable,” she says, not scolding, simply speaking. “There are many who need you, and-” no, that's too much. “You don't always have to take all the risk.”

She knows he won't listen, but she still has to try. She- needs him too much, needs to at least know he's _ alive, _ and she knows his men would be lost without him. So she'll ask this of him, hoping maybe he'll at least _ consider _ it next time.

She already knows he won't.

~~~

“Satine,” Obi sighs, frustrated despite the fact that he knows Satine isn’t reprimanding him, this time. “I don’t consider myself expendable, it’s just that more often than not  _ somebody _ has to take the risk, and I’d rather it was me than someone who’s not so equipped to handle it. It’s not that I  _ enjoy  _ throwing myself into danger all the time-” Well, at least, not  _ mostly, _ “-but I do have a duty to the people in my care.”

And there are few things he considers more important than that.

“I know,” Satine says, soft and tired, looking down at where he’s still holding her hand. (Not, perhaps, his wisest decision, there, but he’s missed her and it still  _ hurts, _ so.) “You scare me sometimes, you know.”

Obi’s not even entirely sure what she’s referring to, if she means the recklessness or all the fighting or his adherence to his Code or the killing or all of it at once, so he just sighs and shakes his head. “I’m sorry for that.”

“I know,” she says again, wearily, and Obi-Wan looks down at the blanket, twists his fingers in the edge of it.

“Sometimes between you and Cody scolding me,” he says, more tired than he means to be, “I’m not entirely sure anybody wants my help.” That doesn’t sound the way he means it to and he grimaces a bit, pinches the bridge of his nose, and tries to smile. He suspects that also doesn’t really look like he wants it to, either, because Satine sighs and pulls her hand away from him and leans back in her chair, folding her hands neatly together.

“My apologies, Master Kenobi,” she says, and Obi-Wan winces, pulls his hand back to brace it against the bed, trying to push himself a bit more upright. It  _ hurts, _ and he hisses a sharp inhale and gives it up, wincing. Satine reaches over with a sharp look to put her hand on his chest, says, “Don’t you  _ dare,”  _ very stern.

Obi catches her fingers before she can sit back again, holds her hand between both of his, and half-smiles at her.

Satine shakes her head, barely amused, and says, “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”

Obi looks at their hands, shrugging one shoulder. “I don’t see how I could  _ accidentally  _ hold your hand, Satine.”

She shoves his shoulder, carefully, smiling just a little.  _ “Di’kut.” _

“I think I’m a genius.” Obi takes a cautious deep breath and tries to relax more again. He does wish he could sit up, but moving was a  _ mistake,  _ so he just settles for attempting to be more comfortable where he is.

He’s just happy Satine isn’t as closed off anymore.

~~~

“Of course you do,” Satine says lightly, scooting her chair a little closer and adjusting so that the angle he's got her hand at is more comfortable. “You're still a _ di'kut.” _

“Nonsense,” Obi-Wan huffs, and she chuckles just a little, shakes her head at him.

He looks _ tired, _ she thinks, observing him for a moment, and her fingers itch to smooth over the lines of pain etched into his face, the shadows under his eyes- but she can't. So she carefully folds her free hand into a fist in her lap, where she won't be tempted to reach for him. He's still in pain, she can tell.

She wishes she could take that pain away.

Obi-Wan is just watching her back, and he lifts her hand, suddenly,  _ kisses _ her fingers, and she swallows hard and looks away, something hot and prickling behind her eyes.  _ Gods, _ just- gods.

She tightens her free hand, tucks it beneath her leg, forces herself to just be content with the warmth of his hands cradling her own.

“Satine…” he says, soft and warm, and she looks back over at him, smiles some. He's so _ close _ and quiet and soft and she _ aches, _ because this- it makes it all feel so _ close, _ all the things they'll never have, everything they've given up, because of their duties. And yet she _ wants, _ so much she almost can't _ breathe, _ because this is so  _ right, _ it just- It _ fits. _

What a cruel game the universe plays, she thinks to herself, letting this feel so _ right, _ making her think maybe there's a chance, when she knows there never will be.

But no matter how often this happens, how much she _ knows _ where and how it will end, she can never bring herself to pull away.

He drops his hand nearer her from her own, lifts it carefully to cup her cheek, and she has to close her eyes (tilts her head into his hand, just a little) because this- it's almost too much, how warm and close he is, and she just- she _ wants him. _

Just-  _ gods. _

“Everything's- better, when you're here,” he says, so soft, and she swallows _ hard, _ squeezes her eyes harder shut for a moment before opening them.

“Obi-” and she lifts her free hand up, for just a moment, skating her fingers over his cheek a moment before shaking herself and pulling back, looking away again. She has to be-  _ careful, _ not forward or _ too much, _ or he'll pull back again, and she- she doesn't want him to. Maybe it's selfish of her, but there it is.

She doesn't want him to let go.

~~~

Obi-Wan knows, cannot  _ forget,  _ that he is not meant to foster attachment. Attachment to individuals distracts from duty to the many, that’s the way it supposedly works, and Obi has a duty to too many people to risk that. But he meant what he said, too, everything feels easier when she’s here, even when she’s scolding him or arguing with him. And he wants that, wants her, and he doesn’t want every one of their interactions to end in the same aching disappointment that they can’t have what he knows they both want, when he will admit it to himself.

“I can’t do all this by myself,” he says, very quietly. “I’m supposed to be able to, but I’m- not sure I can, too many people need me.” He knows they’d help him, certainly, but right now he couldn’t even confide in Anakin if he wanted to and Cody has enough to be concerned about without his General complaining to him. He almost can’t even justify confiding in Satine, when she has so much to worry about with her own people. And that’s the problem, he can’t do this by himself but he can’t burden anybody else.

“I know,” she says,  _ of course  _ she does, she always knows. “I told you, if there’s  _ anything  _ I can do, name it. I still stand by that.”

Obi-Wan swallows and nods. “Yes, and I’m grateful for that.” Right now, if he’s honest, he just wants to sit with her, and not think about the Council or Mortis or the bombing or any of it, because he’s getting so tired and  _ everything  _ hurts. So, very tentative, he pulls on her hand, offers her an awkward smile. “I know it’s a very difficult request, but perhaps you could come sit by me for a little bit?” He looks down, almost wants to take it back, but before he can say anything she shifts, lets go of his hand and reaches down to pull off her shoes.

“Of course,” she says, and Obi smiles a little. She carefully moves over to the bed by him, tucking her feet underneath her and, hesitant, combs her fingers through his hair, and Obi hurts too much to hold her like he suddenly wants to, but he does reach over and set his hand on her knee, tilts his head into her touch just a little.

Satine shifts her hand to his cheek, again, so light, and he closes his eyes and sighs, slowly, catches her hand and holds it where it is. “I’m sorry,” he says, not sure what he means. He just doesn’t want this to be a mistake.

She runs her thumb over his cheekbone and he shivers a little. “What for?”

“I don’t know,” he says, opening his eyes and huffing a rueful laugh. “I almost died and I’m quite tired, Satine, you’ll have to make allowances for some foolishness.”

Satine smiles warmly at him, teases, “The great Obi-Wan Kenobi, admitting to foolishness? I never thought I’d see the day.”

Obi hums, closing his eyes again and sighing slowly. “I hope I can trust your discretion.”

“I am the very soul of discretion, my dear,” she says, with a light laugh. “You should sleep.”

He wants to. The bunk is soft and he’s worn himself out and Satine is so close and gentle and everyone keeps telling him he needs to rest anyway, so perhaps he’d better. He hums a little bit and shrugs. “Whatever you say, Duchess.”

She just chuckles a little, and he tilts closer to her and sighs, searches for the almost-meditation of earlier where the Force, Lighter than it had been before, flows with his breath and takes the pain with it. It’s there, on the edge of sleep, that he feels his Satine kiss his forehead and chuckle, “Oh, Obi. Sweet dreams, my darling Jedi. I love you.”

He has just enough awareness to capture her hand against his cheek, so she can’t disappear, before sleep claims him entirely.

~~~

Rex circles carefully to his right, his eyes flicking from Ahsoka's eyes to her lightsaber and back. She's grinning at him, as she usually does when they're sparring with her sabers, and Rex smiles back, cautious. Most of their training sessions still end with her neatly and easily disarming him when she’s decided they’ve sparred long enough.

He’s not confident enough to go on the offensive much, which is a slight problem as that’s a large component of the style of fighting Ahsoka is teaching him, but he still waits till she darts in to slash her saber toward his legs, catches the strike on his blade and redirects it away from both of them so she’s exposed, for a second. It should be enough to let him get a touch in, but he’s too slow or she’s too fast or both; she twists away from his lunging strike and backs up, fast, still grinning.

Rex pulls back to his defensive position just as Ahsoka rushes him again, striking toward his shoulder (which he barely blocks), sweeping a leg out to try to unbalance him. He scrambles backward, swearing at her, and cuts his saber toward her leg. She blocks it, of course, and for a second he risks staying in close with her, exchanging blows, which he still can’t really keep up with - but then, that’s the best way to learn.

She’s explained to him that what she’s teaching him tends to prioritize strength over mobility, which is the exact  _ opposite  _ of how she fights, he thinks. If he were good at this yet, that might be interesting; as it is, that just means she regularly kicks his ass.

He thinks he’s starting to understand how the movements work, though.

So, after hesitating a bit, he tries some of the more aggressive attacks; they mostly feel clumsy and obvious, to him, but he manages to be fast enough that for a minute he pushes Ahsoka off balance and back, restricted to just blocking his strikes. He’s just getting comfortable when he notices the little smirk and the change in her grip that means she’s decided they’re done, and he doesn’t have time to back off before she’s ducked away from a two-handed downward strike and swept her saber out to hover hot and humming by his throat.

Rex stops, snorting, and switches off his own borrowed weapon, taking a step back. “Was that  _ necessary?”  _ he says, dryly, and Ahsoka laughs, turning off her lightsaber and clipping it to her belt as Rex hands the other back to her.

“Yes,” she says, smirking. Of course.

Rex rolls his eyes and crosses his arms. “You have way too much fun with this, you know that.”

“Not as much as I  _ could _ be having,” Ahsoka says, pointedly, stepping closer to him and raising an eyebrow.

Rex smiles a little. “Fair enough. What’d you have in mind?”

She  _ smirks.  _ “Oh, I can think of a few things.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rex is a badass, Ahsoka is sassy, and then everybody's terrified  
> (what, we warned you this fic was a rollercoaster, don't blame us)

With all the battles and the drama, it's been a couple months since Ahsoka had a chance to practice lightsaber combat with Anakin. And she might be _ lightyears _ better than she'd been when she first became his padawan, but there's still so _ much _ she can learn from Anakin, one of the best duelists in the Order.

So it's with a lighter heart than usual, lately (everything feels so heavy all the time, whenever she's reminded of her failure on Mandalore and the bombing and the way everything's been so awful), she meets Anakin in one of the less-frequently-used training salles in the Temple. Rex is with her, because the form she's teaching him is the same one Anakin uses, and she thought maybe watching him spar with her would be a good learning experience. Rex had agreed, although who knows if that's partially just because he enjoys watching her fight.

Either way, he's now straddling a chair on the edge of the room, leaning his forearms on the back of it, helmet resting on the floor by his feet, watching as she twists away from yet another attack from Anakin, who's twirling his saber and grinning a bit at her.

“You've improved,” he says, lightly, and she ducks under his guard, sweeps her shoto up to block his saber, bringing her own saber in to cut at his legs. He jumps back, twists his wrists and drops his saber to block.

Kark it.

“Of course I have,” she says, balancing on the balls of her feet, circling slowly to his left, waiting. Sure enough, he darts in, strikes _ hard _ from above at her face, and she brings both her sabers up to catch his, strains for a moment - knowing she can't _ actually _ match him in any way - ducks away and slips back up close to exchange a series of furious blows with him that ends with him flicking her green saber out of her hand.

_ “Kriff,” _ she snaps, tucks and rolls away before he can get a touch in, extends her hand and calls her saber back to her. Anakin is there almost before she's even back on her feet, and then it's one-two-three-four blows and she has to backflip away, because he's too damned close to disarming her again. “I don't remember you being this good,” she grits out, and he chuckles.

“You aren't a padawan anymore, Snips. I'm just not pulling my blows anymore.”

_ Kriffing hells, _ he looks so _ smug. _ Ahsoka shakes her head, sighing, tugs on the Force a bit to help her speed, sprints up and puts more force (and Force) behind her strikes, manages to actually put Anakin on the defensive for a minute, until he _ laughs _ and suddenly twists to one side, and she overreaches, and for just a second her guard is down.

And that split second is all Anakin needs.

He taps his saber hilt against the back of her neck, lightly, says, “You're dead,” and she shuts her sabers off and glares up at him.

“Okay, I get the point, you're still way better than me.”

“Exactly.” He grins. “I'm glad we're on the same page about this.”

Well, that was _ embarrassing. _ She shakes her head, hooks her sabers on her belt, and turns, grumbling under her breath, to Rex. “He likes to show off, but did that help at all?”

~~~

Rex gets off his chair with a small, impressed smile. “Sure did show me how much I’ve got to learn. Damn, sir.” He never really sees Anakin fight anything besides droids, with a few exceptions, so seeing him actually fighting with technique is really amazing.

“Thanks, Rex. But if you think  _ that’s  _ impressive, you should see Obi-Wan fighting an equal.” Anakin shakes his head, and Rex nods.

“I’ve heard.”

Anakin runs a hand through his hair, looking a bit unsure, then suggests, “Maybe when he’s healed up, the two of us can spar and you’ll see what I mean.”

“That’d be great,” Rex says, appreciatively, shrugging one shoulder. “Bet the men would like to see that too.”

“I think that could be arranged.” Anakin grins, and Rex is almost relieved to be able to smile back like things are normal. His General turns to Ahsoka, inclines his head. “Thank you for sparring with me today, Snips.” His tone is formal, but teasing, and honestly it’s a relief to see him slightly more relaxed.

So, as Anakin’s leaving, Rex almost regrets having to ask the question, but he’s heard nothing but mutterings from the 607th (which is not the most reliable source) and he requires more information than that, especially where his  _ vode  _ are concerned. So: “General, where do things stand in the investigation on Je’kai?”

Anakin stops, turns to face them again with a wince, which Rex doesn’t think is exactly a  _ good sign. _ “He’s supposed to be reconditioned. They’re shipping him to Kamino in three days.” The General sighs, weary, and adds, “I’m sorry, Rex.”

“When did they decide that?” Rex asks, clenching his right hand into a fist. They can’t seriously be making his  _ vod  _ take the fall for this - if somebody threatened Je’kai’s men, that at least deserves more than a  _ week’s  _ consideration.

Anakin hesitates, swallowing. “Two days ago.” Rex scowls, although he can’t necessarily blame Anakin for not telling him immediately. “Je’kai is taking the full blame for this, Rex- he hasn’t said a word to them about someone threatening his men.”

Gods  _ damn _ it, Je’kai - although Rex finds he’s not terribly surprised. If Je’kai implicated somebody else, then whatever threat there was to his men might not go away. Karking hells.

Ahsoka crosses her arms next to Rex, shifting her weight to one foot. “But why wouldn’t he? They’re going to recondition him, surely he doesn’t want that.”

“Remember what happened to Letta when she tried to talk to  _ you,”  _ Rex points out, tiredly. “If somebody threatened the 607th to get him to do this,” or, as Je’kai seemed to be indicating, Naas in particular, “I doubt they’d want him ratting them out. Otherwise they’d just have done it themselves. That means until he’s taken the punishment for this, there’s still a threat to his men.” And Je’kai was right, Rex  _ does  _ know what he’d do to protect his  _ vod’ike. _

Same thing Rex will.

Anakin takes a few steps closer to him again, lowers his voice. “I have to stay out of this, I can’t get involved, but- Rex, do what you have to.” Rex smiles a little, grimly, salutes. His General knows him too well. “Don’t get caught. I’ll help you however I can.” He pauses, sighs, and looks down. “We can’t just let this happen to him, he’s a good man.”

Rex claps Anakin on the shoulder, pulls him into a quick, one-armed hug. “Thanks, sir. You are too, you know.”

“I hope so, Rex,” Anakin says, roughly, looking down, and Rex smiles tightly before walking back to his abandoned chair to retrieve his helmet.

It turns out he has plans to make, because Je’kai is  _ not _ going to be reconditioned in three days, but it’s going to take some careful work to ensure that. Especially if Rex doesn’t want to end up getting reconditioned himself.

He’s going to have to do some recruiting.

~~~

The day before Je'kai is supposed to be taken for reconditioning, Ahsoka leaves the Temple around midafternoon, gets a speeder that can hold four people comfortably (for her, Rex, and Je'kai - maybe one of the other boys too, she'll see) and drives it down to a fairly innocuous corner on one of the mid levels, low enough that there aren't so many patrols, but high enough that the likelihood of someone stealing a locked speeder is slim to none. Still, to be safe, when she parks it in the back alley, she chains it to a pole. It's a good first rendezvous spot, before they go down lower.

It takes her almost an hour, going through the back paths, to make it to the Republic base where Anakin says they're keeping Je'kai; she crouches in the shadows at the edge of the base, watching. Waiting.

It's easy to figure out the guard schedules, and she creeps past the towers, slips behind a wall and waits for a squad of shocktroopers to march past and around the corner.

The coast is clear.

Still, to be sure, because this is so _ important, _ she waves one hand in time with a gust of wind, sends a couple barrels crashing into each other in the opposite direction. As soon as the tower guards are paying attention over _ there, _ she darts into the base, freezes just beneath the ventilation shaft, uses the Force to push the grate up and to one side before she leaps up and in. Resets the grate so it's not obvious that someone's snuck in, crouches down on all fours and crawls through the narrow space. As she'd remembered, it's _ just _ large enough, she thinks, to fit a clone without armor.

Good. That's _ important _ to the plan.

Ahsoka had taken a page from  Barriss’ book while planning this - after finding out what cell Je'kai is being held in, she'd memorized the ventilation shafts, the route needed to get her into position over the cell in as little time as possible. Still, even with that knowledge and her ability to scoot through the ducts _ fast, _ she's still barely in position by the time her wrist chrono says it's five minutes before Rex is supposed to arrive.

Her part, at least up until now, is the least dangerous.

She looks down through the grate she's crouched over, sees Je'kai sitting on the bunk of sorts in the back of the cell, idly tapping his fingers on his thigh. He looks- resigned, she thinks, but not _ angry _ or afraid. Like he's ready for his punishment.

She almost doesn't even _ understand. _ He's about to lose his _ self _ and he's _ calm? _

It doesn't make sense. But then again, he's always been _ protective _ of his men, so maybe… maybe it's less confusing than it seems.

Either way. They're _ getting him out. _

Je'kai isn't going to be lost. Not on their watch.

~~~

Rex doesn't even walk into the Republic base until his whole squad has confirmed they're in position. Ahsoka can't risk comming him, they agreed, so he just has to assume she'll be there - and she should be.

That's not really the part of the plan he's worried about.

Fives and Echo are the last to comm; they're waiting where Ahsoka and Je'kai are supposed to leave the base, as back-up. Rex sends them a short acknowledgement, and he and Jesse and Kix head across the courtyard in front if the base, with the overly-stiff strides of new recruits to match their spotless armor.

“I still think this is too risky,” Kix says, quietly, as they walk past the rows of red GAR flags.

“It was this or letting him get taken,” Jesse says. “This is a lot more fun.”

Rex just snorts quietly. It's only more fun if none of his contacts on the Guard back out of the plan. He doesn't think they will, but it's a risk nonetheless.

He has men throughout the base in unmarked, brand new armor, and he himself is wearing the same, so there's no battalion color to link them back to a General or to innocent  _ vode. _ Anakin doesn't know Rex's plan so no one can ask him about it. He has done everything he can thus far to cover his tracks - and, he thinks, as they walk into the base, he'll do anything else he needs to do to get Je'kai out.

Je'kai is being held on a secure prison level, under careful watch because, of course, he bombed the  _ Jedi Council. _ Rex, Jesse, and Kix take the elevator, nodding at Ket as they go. He’s stationed by the main entrance and slated to move toward the back entrance once Rex confirms that Ahsoka has Je’kai. Mostly, Rex brought his men as back-up, in case his plan goes wrong. They know that, he’d told them. They came anyway.

The lift stops at the level where Je’kai’s being held. The doors don’t open; they require a shocktrooper to unlock the lift and escort them, since these are high-security prisoners. They’ve come up in the guard station; as planned, Rex can see that Dogma and Tup are already sitting around in their white armor, waiting, and the technician he knows, Tapper, is casually drinking caf and sends him a lazy salute.

It’s not any of them that has clearance to let him into the prison level, though - that’s Commander Fox’s part of the plan. He leaves his station, comes over to the elevator, keys in a code to let them out into the level. “What do you troopers need?” he asks, gruffly, and Rex sighs quietly.

He’d been hesitant to approach Fox and it’d been a gamble, to be sure, and honestly he hasn’t been entirely sure that Fox wasn’t just going to give him up once they all got here. But his  _ vod _ has come through so far, so they might be clear for now.

“We came up to see Commander Je’kai,” he answers, nods at Tapper, who hefts himself to his feet and walks into the next room.

Fox makes a show of patting them down and taking their weapons, standard-issue blaster rifles. Jesse  _ looks  _ at Rex and Rex knows he wants to grumble, but this was part of the plan too so Rex ignores him.

“You three,” Fox points at Tup, Dogma, and a shocktrooper named Mysh that Fox asked to bring in on the plan. Apparently Ahsoka helped him when she was escaping prison, so she was excited to hear he was helping. “With us.”

Rex’s men and the shocktroopers form an escort around him and Jesse and Kix, and they’re taken back to see Je’kai.

Fox lets him into the cell with a slight shake of the head and a muttered, “Good luck,  _ di'kut.” _ Then he takes his men and leaves, and Jesse, Tup, Dogma, and Kix stand guard at the door.

Rex walks down into the cell and, on the assumption that Tapper has done his part, pulls off his helmet and tucks it under his arm and says, “Je'kai, you're gonna have to talk fast; we need to get moving, but the footage in this cell is on a loop, so why'd you bomb the Council? The whole reason, I need to know.”

Je'kai scrambles to his feet, dismayed. “Rex, what the  _ kriff  _ are you doing?”

“Visiting,” Rex says with a tight smile. “And breaking you out. You have any objections, you can save them. I need your explanation, now.”

Predictably, Je'kai just glares at him, shaking his head. “I told you to let this happen, Rex. You can't be risking this.”

“I'm the senior officer, so I outrank you. You can't give me orders. And let me decide what I can risk; you know what _I_ would do to protect _my_ _vode.”_ Rex is done letting them take his brothers from him without a fight.

Je'kai meets his eyes, for a second, then looks down and shakes his head. “I'll tell you what happened,” he says, reluctantly. He sounds dissatisfied with the exchange, but Rex doesn't care. “Somebody-” Je'kai hesitates, very tense, his feet flat on the floor. “Somebody threatened Naas. He met with me, said if I didn't bomb the Temple he'd hurt him.” Je'kai rubs the back of his neck, restless, and Rex grits his teeth. “I think he had the Force, I don't know. He- demonstrated what he would do to Naas if I didn't listen, so I knew I had to do it. He left the planning up to me, but I wasn't supposed to tell anybody it wasn't my idea or he'd still hurt Naas.”

Rex scowls. “Do you have  _ any _ idea who it was?”

Je'kai shakes his head. “Just- he said ‘Darth Sidious,’ I don't know, I think General Krell mentioned him once.”

Je'kai is right, Rex remembers. It had apparently been Darth Sidious that Krell was trying to impress by getting half of Rex's brothers killed.

Rex is getting really kriffing tired of this bastard, whoever he is.

There's a metallic clang and scrape that sends him into a crouch before he realizes it's the grate over the ventilation duct of the cell; Ahsoka swings out of it to land on the floor and exclaims, “Hang on, did you say Darth Sidious? Like, the kriffing  _ Sith Master?” _

“Good to know you were in position,” Rex mutters.

“Yeah,” Je'kai answers, dryly, blinking.

“Kriffing hells, everything makes a lot more sense now,” Ahsoka says, emphatically. “We  _ have  _ to tell the Council about this.”

“No.” Je'kai shakes his head, sharp. “You heard what I said, if I implicate anyone else in this then Naas still takes the fall. I'm not risking it.”

“He's right,” Rex says. “At least for now. If we don't know anything about the threat, then we can't protect him from it, and I'm not willing to take that risk either.”

Ahsoka hesitates. “But the  _ Sith Master.  _ That's a threat level  _ none of us _ are equipped to deal with.” She shakes her head anxiously. “I wish Obi-Wan hadn't gotten hurt, I  _ think  _ we could trust him with this.”

“Yes.” Rex shakes his head. “Whatever we're going to do, we can discuss it later. We need to go, I can't have Tapper looping the footage forever.” He sets his helmet back on his head, nods to his  _ vode _ at the door.

This is going to be the trickiest part of the plan; with luck they'll get out before someone besides Fox and Tapper sees the cell is empty, but if someone _ does,  _ then they're going to have to get out  _ fast, _ without arousing suspicion.

“Right.” Ahsoka nods tersely and turns to gesture to Je'kai. “Je'kai, you're with me, in the ducts.”

Je'kai shifts, plants his feet, and Rex swears under his breath. “You aren't breaking me out,” his _ vod _ says, shaking his head. “This has to happen.”

“Drop that banthashit and go with Ahsoka,” Rex snaps. “We're here and we're getting you out, and you're gonna let us. That's an order,  _ vod.” _

“Karking hells,” Je’kai snaps, gritting his teeth and shaking his head, but Rex doesn’t care if that’s an agreement or not, and apparently neither does Ahsoka, because she springs up into the vents again, reaches a hand out in a claw and  _ yanks  _ Je’kai up, flailing and swearing, into the vent also.

Rex doesn’t bother stifling his laughter, just shakes his head, chuckling, and signals for Dogma, Tup, Jesse, and Kix to leave the cell with him.

He hits the button, closes the door, and Mysh, who’s standing at the end of the block of cells, salutes.

He’s supposed to tell Tapper to stop looping the camera footage after about fifteen standard minutes, and at that point if somebody sees Je’kai’s gone, then somebody sees. Rex thinks they should have time, anyway. So he heads back to the elevator with his  _ vode, _ takes it down a few levels so they can head to the back entrance and meet up with Ahsoka.

~~~

“Put the grate back in place,” Ahsoka says softly, once Je'kai is (reluctantly) up in the ducts with her. He barely fits, and he's obviously _ not _ pleased, but he's at least given up arguing - he replaces the grating, and is fast and quiet about it, at least.

She starts off through the ducts, going slower than she would normally so that he can keep up, aiming for the back of the base, where the building butts up against a wall and the ventilation shaft leads all the way to the outside. If everything goes according to plan, she should be meeting Rex outside, briefly, to discuss who's going with her to the lower levels, before they'll be heading to the speeder (which is hopefully still where she parked it). Rex is _ supposed _ to comm Anakin and have him and Padmè meet them on a lower level, so they can figure out where to hide Je'kai for the time being. 

There's a lot of risk to this plan, especially if Fox decides not to do his part. 

She doesn't want to think about that possibility.

She's more careful than maybe she _ has _ to be, especially when they cross occupied corridors, mostly freezing in place and waiting for the troopers to march past before continuing on. This is a sensitive enough situation it's just better to be safe than sorry.

She _ really _ shouldn't be getting caught committing a criminal act so soon after being acquitted for the _ last _ Temple bombing.

It takes almost fifteen minutes to make her careful, slow way to the edge of the building; once there, she works the grate off and pulls it into the the shaft with her, glances quickly around before leaping out onto the wall and motioning Je'kai out too. As soon as he's joined her (still looking not very pleased by all this), she concentrates, holds out both hands and adjusts the grating back into place.

“Alright, let's go,” she says, quietly, and jumps down off the wall. There aren't any surveillance cameras back here, but there could still be patrols. They have to be careful and fast.

Hopefully Rex shows up soon.

~~~

Rex’s squad of “shinies” is unfortunately conspicuous, although really nobody looks twice, still. Brii, Dip, Atlas, and a couple other  _ vode  _ join up with them on the way out; Brii is the only one of them that really looks like a shiny, even though he’s fairly far from being one. He’s jittery, and Rex can just  _ tell  _ he’s excited, too, although they’ve all refrained from talking, to be safe.

There’s no alarm sounded, and other than a group of shocktroopers making fun of them in the good-natured way  _ vode  _ always tease new recruits, everyone leaves them alone. They’re stopped at the back entrance by a Captain who asks them what they’re doing (Rex thinks he suspects they’re going out to get drinks), so he tells the Captain to ask Fox.

Fox is going to be annoyed, but they can’t really do much about that.

The Captain calls Fox, who grumbles out that yes, he sent the shinies out on a patrol to get them used to the routes, and can the Captain please not bother him unless he has something more serious to ask about than a bunch of shinies.

So the Captain lets them out the back entrance, grumbling to himself, and Rex smiles, leads his squad out into the Coruscant evening, and across the small back courtyard to the perimeter of the base.

Ahsoka, Fives, Echo, Ket, and Je’kai are all waiting for them, Je’kai in the unused set of armor they brought. Unfortunately, that armor is now  _ glaringly  _ obvious - from here out they need to move fast, and be back to the barracks and in their own kit as soon as possible.

“So far so good!” Brii says, cheerfully, obviously pleased with himself.

Rex just rolls his eyes and comms Anakin. “Hey, General, you got a minute.”

_ “Sort of,”  _ Anakin says, sounds wary.  _ “Why.” _

“I mentioned I might need to talk to you and the Senator today - I might need that to be in thirty standard minutes on level 1310, corner of 23 and 16.”

_ “‘Might’ need to?”  _ Anakin says, wry.  _ “Kriffing hells, Rex.” _

Rex snorts. “You’re meeting Je’kai, Ahsoka, and Atlas. The rest of us aren’t going to be there, but Ahsoka knows what needs done. Thanks in advance, sir.”

_ “I hope you realize you’re an idiot,”  _ Anakin says.

“Yeah, so people keep saying. Again, thanks.” Rex turns off his comm, shaking his head. “Good job, boys. Split up and be careful getting back, and karking put the armor back in the  _ right place.  _ See you in the barracks.”

They agreed on taking separate routes back to the barracks, because now one trooper is far less conspicuous than a whole squad. There aren’t too many protestors today, either - everyone’s too worried about being arrested, after the explosion.

Rex doesn’t go right away, says, “Ahsoka, thanks for helping me. Please be careful getting back.”

“You too,” she says, smiling a little. “See you in an hour or so.” She steps up to him, goes up on her toes and kisses the side of his helmet, making him snort.

“Sap.”

She smirks and winks. “You know it.”

Rex shakes his head, chuckling a bit, and turns to leave, himself.

He saved his  _ vod. _ The rest is up to Ahsoka, Anakin, and Senator Amidala.

~~~

It takes much less time for Ahsoka to make it to her speeder than it had to get to the Republic base, partially because she spends most of the return trip at a jog. Half an hour is not _ quite _ enough time, but she'll make it work. Je'kai and Atlas both manage to keep up with her easily enough, and since they take the back ways they don't get stopped, aren't even _ seen _ by anyone, which is good. Important.

There's a dark brown standard-issue Jedi cloak folded up in the passenger's seat of her speeder, which is thankfully still in position; she unfolds it and puts it on, wraps it around herself and directs the two clones into the back seat. Unchains the speeder and hops in, starting it up. No one will question a Jedi with two clones as an escort making their way to the lower levels - there's an advantage, she thinks, wryly, to the fact that it's well-known the Jedi don't go anywhere without a purpose and that hindering them is often not beneficial. Jedi don't go down into the Underworld often, and when they do, it's typically to chase a criminal. As long as Je'kai and Atlas keep their buckets on, no one will think anything of it.

Still, she spends the speeder trip nervous, has to force herself not to constantly check behind her, as that would only make her look suspicious. She makes it to the place she's to rendezvous with Anakin and Padmè unscathed and unfollowed, fortunately, and she parks the speeder and hops off, has Atlas stay with it and Je'kai come with her.

“Hey Anakin, Padmè,” she says, lightly. “Thanks for meeting me here.”

“You're being a kriffing _ idiot, _ Snips,” Anakin says, and she snorts.

“Yeah, yeah,” and she waves a hand. “I know, you don't have to tell me. Look, Padmè, I was wondering if you had any safe houses that aren't being used right now? Preferably secret ones.”

Padmè frowns, nods slowly. “I only have one on Coruscant, but it's quite secure. I assume this is your… friend, the one who's fallen on hard times?”

Je'kai crosses his arms, is probably scowling inside his helmet. “None of this was my idea, and I still don't approve,” he says, sounds frustrated.

“Anakin, he said _ Darth Sidious _ is the one who approached him and threatened Naas,” Ahsoka says, urgently.

“Holy kriffing _ shit,” _ Anakin breathes, running his hand through his hair, worried. “I want Naas in with the 501st,  _ protected, _ and no one's allowed near him without one of Torrent around.”

“Do you think he knows? About Naas being… well,” and Ahsoka stops, shrugging a bit.

“I hope not, but-” Anakin shakes his head. “We just have to be careful. Je'kai, go with Padmè, she'll take care of you. Snips, with me, let's get back to the Temple before anyone knows we're gone.”

Ahsoka nods, follows Anakin back to her speeder, and he pulls up the hood of his own cloak as he hops into the driver's seat.

For better or for worse, they've done it. And only time will tell if they did it _ well. _

~~~

Rex meets Ahsoka when she comes to the barracks from the Temple, in her comfortable leggings and a loose tunic, like she’s been doing nothing but wandering around the Temple all day. He’d stopped in the armory to put away his borrowed armor (godsdamned Phase Two, it’s just  _ not good), _ retrieved his own armor and put on the lower body pieces. Now he’s carrying most of his armor, meets Ahsoka outside the barracks with a small grin.

“I definitely beat you today,” he says, lightly, because they’ve agreed on the excuse that they were sparring this afternoon and evening.

“In your dreams,” Ahsoka says, shaking her head, smirking.

“If we were sparring hand to hand, which I think we  _ were, _ then I won,” Rex says, pausing with his hand over the button to open the door to the barracks.

She grumbles at him as he opens the door, “Only because you cheated.”

“I  _ never  _ cheat,” Rex says matter-of-factly, “That’s you, General.” Because, as they walk into his barracks, he takes in the sight of a large squad of shocktroopers and everybody’s favorite admiral (or, more accurately, his battalion’s least favorite person, besides a few obvious exceptions), Lareen.

They work fast.

“I do  _ not  _ cheat!” Ahsoka huffs. “In a  _ real  _ fight, I’d obviously use the Force, so I don’t get why you won’t let me.” Rex rolls his eyes at her, because he’s explained this before and he has good reasons. Then she turns to look at the barracks too, blinks a little. “Oh, Admiral Lareen. Did you need something?”

The admiral takes a step away from Fives, who’s lounging against his bunk with a pair of dice in his hand, in his armor and looking as smug as a loth-cat. “General Tano,” she snaps, harsh, “Commander Je’kai was broken out of prison today, not very long ago. What can you tell me about that?”

“Oh, was he? How embarrassing,” Ahsoka says lightly, and Rex schools his face into a concerned frown. “I don’t know anything, but I’d be glad to lend you a hand and look at the evidence - I’d say I can probably be of assistance to you, since I’m the one who caught the  _ last  _ Temple bomber.”

Rex bites back a laugh. Fives does not; he just guffaws and tosses his dice in the hair.

Lareen’s jaw shifts, and she crosses her arms and lifts her chin. “You are not welcome as part of the GAR’s investigation. I am here to ask you questions. You are a prime suspect, General.”

Fives laughs again, and Rex shakes his head, still containing a smile. “Why do you think he didn’t just break  _ himself  _ out?” he asks, neutrally.

“He couldn’t have,” Lareen snaps. “We’re sure he had help, at least.”

“You’re sure?” Ahsoka raises an eyebrow with an air of disappointment. “So what you’re saying is, you don’t have any evidence, and you’re here because you have a grudge against me and my battalion. And that would hardly be policy in this situation, would it? Maybe the investigation should be led by someone with less of a... personal stake in this.”

“This is not personal for me, General Tano,” Lareen says, brusquely. “Not like it is for you. Just because  _ you  _ were,” she pauses, lip curling, “falsely accused, doesn’t mean that is the case here. He  _ confessed  _ to bombing  _ your Temple.” _

Ahsoka sighs, rolls her eyes a bit. “That was never in question, admiral. I spoke to him right after the explosion.” Lareen blinks, as if she hadn’t expected Ahsoka to admit that - technically, it’s not true, but it is true that Rex had, and that Je’kai had confessed immediately after the bombing itself.

“But hold on just a second,” Ahsoka continues, laughs a little bitterly. “You said this is personal for me? Admiral, Je’kai is not 501st, and, as you seem to have forgotten, I just recently got back from a campaign that killed more than half my battalion. I’ve been a bit busy helping my men through the pain of that loss. Not only that, but there are internal affairs within the Order that’ve been taking up much of the rest of my time. I didn’t have  _ time  _ to plan a prison break for anyone, much less a single clone who isn’t one of my own men.”

Admiral Lareen doesn’t seem particularly impressed with that statement, because she just shakes her head stiffly. “He used to be 501st,” she says. “But that is not the point here. I have more questions for you, and some for your men. I hope you don’t  _ object,  _ General Tano.”

“Actually I do,” Ahsoka says, and Rex frowns a little, although he keeps his thoughts to himself. “It’s late, we’re all exhausted. How about this: you come back if you find evidence that me or one of my men was involved in this, and I’ll answer whatever questions you might have.”

“I’m afraid that’s not acceptable,” Lareen says, sharply, and Rex looks at Ahsoka, finds she does really look  _ exhausted. _

“What if a few of us talk to you now?” he says, wearily, rubbing his face. “I’ll answer your questions if you want, me and some of my troops. I insist we keep the interrogations to a couple hours. There’s been enough upheaval lately.”

“Fair enough,” Lareen spits. “Over here, and we’ll talk.” She points to the empty rows of bunks where his  _ vode  _ should be, and Rex lightly rolls his eyes, shrugs at Fives, and follows her.

Lareen ends up questioning him, Jesse, and Fives, because everyone keeps volunteering before she can talk to Ahsoka.

They planned out their alibi long before today - the battalion itself doesn’t even know what the plan was, only that Rex was getting Je’kai out but he and his squad and Ahsoka were  _ supposedly  _ doing other things. Cody and the 212th promised to say that Rex’s squad was with them in their barracks most of the day. So Rex isn’t particularly worried about their stories matching up.

All he’s worried about is there being a loose end somewhere that he failed to notice.

~~~

Ahsoka's jerked out of a for-once  _ sound _ sleep by something thick and frozen and choking, pressing down on her mind like mountains.

She'd fallen asleep curled up with Rex just a few minutes after Lareen had left the barracks (with a stern promise to be back first thing the next morning); from how _ tired _ she still feels, it can't be too long after that. Everything is still and silent, her montrals only picking up the rushing sound of hundreds of men breathing  _ just _ out of sync, but there's something nagging at her, a sense of _ danger _ she can't dismiss.

She pushes herself up on her elbows, dislodging Rex's hand from where he's curled his arm around her, frowns and peers into the darkness, looking. Searching.

It takes  _ too long, _ and by the time she sees the anomaly, the source of the danger, it's nearly too late - there's a darkly hooded and cloaked person almost _ gliding _ across the floor towards- towards _  Naas’ bunk, _ oh shit, hells, and she jerks herself out of the blankets (notices, out of the corner of her eye, Kix doing the same thing), yells, “Hey!”

Pulls her sabers to her hands and ignites them, driven by instinct and _ terror. _

The Force is _ screaming. _

Half the barracks is awake by the time her shout stops echoing. The person turns and all she can see is _ yellow, glowing eyes, _ and there's Dark thick and weighty around them, and she _ knows. _

“Get _ away from him!” _ Ahsoka runs forward, preparing to leap _ onto _ Naas’ bunk if she has to to defend him, and Kix is behind her with his own saber, and she thinks Rex is grabbing his blasters too, the whole battalion is-

There's a sudden _ wave _ of Force, and she barely has time to counter it enough to stay mostly on her feet - it still sends her sabers tumbling from her hands and no, no,  _ no! _ Kix is making a choked noise behind her and the Sith - Darth Sidious? - still hasn't even moved his fingers, and she tries to run at him again and he _ moves. _

Just a twitch of his hand.

And something brilliant blue-white and blinding sears out of the dark, and when it hits her there is **_pain._ **

She screams, she thinks, feels herself thrown to the ground like it's _ nothing, _ and there's still that awful electricity arching over her skin, burning and sparking and _ hot, _ and her muscles convulse and she can taste blood, and then it's _ gone _ but she can't move, can't even breathe, curls forward over her stomach and chokes for breath.

(And Naas- she has to go to him but she _ cannot move, _ everything _ burns, _ and the Sith could take him now and she's useless, less than, worthless, she can't even protect them -  _ you've never been able to-) _

Her muscles are weak, spasming, and she knows without even trying she won't be able to get up. So she doesn't, just gasps for air and squeezes her eyes shut tight against tears of pain and prays to the Force that they will be alright.

~~~

Rex can’t get up.

He wasn’t ready for the push when it came and without his armor to break the impact of the fall, he hit the floor  _ hard, _ slamming his shoulder into the side of a bunk. It knocks the wind out of him, and with only Ahsoka’s sabers lighting the barracks, it’s too hard to try to find his bearings and catch his breath.

Still, he puts his palms flat on the floor, unsteadily shoves himself off the ground and to his feet, just as Ahsoka’s sabers suddenly go out and in the returning darkness there are only vague shapes and the sounds of groans and coughs and his  _ vode  _ staggering to their feet, too.

What’s  _ happening? _

He didn’t let go of his blasters, raises them again in what he thinks is the right direction, parses out Ahsoka’s figure and someone  _ else,  _ and then-

Then a crack and a flash of light, blue and white and burning: lightning,  _ aden’tra,  _ and Ahsoka  _ screams. _

In the blinding light, Rex can see exactly two things: Ahsoka writhing on the floor, arms curled around her stomach; and a cloaked figure manipulating the lightning, or at least seeming to, a sneer just visible beneath the hood of his cloak.

Rex fires at the dark figure, advancing fast because he has no other options. It doesn’t work, exactly; there’s a harsh hum and a red saber ignites, blocking his blasts, but there’s no more lightning so Ahsoka might be alright.

As if they’ve done what they intended, the Sith whips around and the saber light vanishes and there are too many spots in Rex’s vision, he can’t  _ see,  _ so he holds his fire and tries to blink away the spots of color left from the bursts of light and looks around.

There’s a sudden shout of “Over here!” and, in the split second after, another streak of red as the Sith ignites their saber, and the blade flashes once and turns a body red and someone falls and then just like that, the Sith is gone again.

Someone has the sense to fumble for the lights, and for a second it’s too white and bright but then Rex sees Ahsoka is still lying on the floor so he dodges around rows of bunks (how far was he thrown?), hurries over to her and drops to his knees next to her, setting a hand against her neck to feel for a pulse. She’s not  _ dead,  _ he can tell, but it’s still a relief to feel her heartbeat, fast and irregular.

She makes a small, hoarse noise, murmurs, “Naas,” and fumbles with one hand, although he doesn’t know what she’s trying to do.

“He’s fine,” Rex says, looking around for his  _ vod’ika;  _ he’s not  _ fine,  _ but he’s here and Echo’s talking to him so that’s okay. Kix is near them too, sitting down, a hand on his own neck.

Everybody’s talking anxiously and Fives is holding his wristcomm in one hand, although Rex suspects he made the call the second they knew they were dealing with a Force user.

Rex shakes his head, because there’s too much he should help with, and slips an arm under Ahsoka’s shoulders to prop her up a little, tugging her very carefully against his chest. She reaches out to curl weak fingers in his shirt and he looks around at his  _ vode, _ shaken.

“Lock this place down,” he says to Jesse, sharp. “You don't let  _ anyone _ in but General Skywalker or Cody. And I  _ mean  _ anyone.”

Until he knows what the  _ kriff _ is going on, he's not letting anyone near his  _ vod'ike  _ or his  _ cyar'ika. _

~~~

It's early,  _ very _ early, in the morning, when Anakin's comm goes off.  _ “General Skywalker! General Skywalker, there's a Sith in the barracks, we need immediate assistance.” _

Anakin _ swears, _ leaps out of bed and grabs his wristcomm, shoves it into his pocket, jerks a button-down shirt half-on, doesn't bother with the buttons, grabs his saber and sprints out of his room, snaps out, “I'm on my way, Fives.”

_ “Acknowledged, sir, please hurry.” _

He is.

A _ Sith _ in the barracks? What the _ kriff _ could he _ want? _

He makes it to the barracks in record time, and Jesse and Fives and a couple others are guarding the door, blasters up. They step aside, feel _ relieved, _ but before Anakin can go inside _ Cody _ comes running up, in blacks and carrying a blaster, snaps out, “What the hells is going on?”

“All I know is there was a _ Sith _ in the barracks,” Anakin says, and then he pushes through the door, tosses a quick “stay alert” at his men.

The lights are on inside and everything is just _ chaos, _ armor scattered everywhere and clones huddled together, Naas crying hard into Brii’s shoulder, and _ Ahsoka is on the floor _ and Rex is carefully holding her, oh _ Force _ what happened to her? He and Cody both head in that direction - though before he can get far, he stumbles across a _ body, _ and he looks down and it's Ket, sliced in half by a saber like so much trash, oh _ hells _ \- and as soon as he gets close enough to Rex he says, fast, “What the _ kriffing hells _ happened here, _ vod?” _

Ahsoka looks small and _ terrified, _ feels that way too, although she's mostly shielded from him, and he's almost afraid to know the answer to his question.

~~~

Desperately relieved to see his General and his  _ ori’vod, _ Rex sits up a little (although he doesn’t loosen his hold on Ahsoka) and shakes his head. “I don’t even  _ know, _ really, Ahsoka woke everyone up because there was someone in here-”

“Sidious, I think,” Ahsoka interjects, rasping. “After Naas.”

Anakin swears, loudly, and a couple of the men jump.

“He threw most of us back, I don’t know, and then he- I guess, electrocuted Ahsoka, and then he left.” Rex shakes his head. “Killed a  _ vod  _ on the way out.”

Kix comes over, walking a bit gingerly, and crouches down to wordlessly check Ahsoka’s pulse. She just turns her face into Rex’s chest and curls her hand tighter in his shirt.

“He choked some of us,” Kix half-whispers, which Rex guesses means “some of us” included him. “Or I’d been over here sooner.”

“Don’t worry about it, Kix,” Rex says. His  _ vod  _ sighs and closes his eyes, holding a hand out over Ahsoka’s chest.

“I need to comm the Council,” Anakin says, anxious, shoving one hand through his hair. “Snips, are you alright?”

Ahsoka shakes her head and shifts even closer to Rex, which is… a worrying answer, at best. Rex runs a hand briefly over her montrals before settling it out of Kix’s way on the floor. Cody sighs, looks around.  _ “Ori’vod,  _ I’ll try to get everyone calmed down and- and we can get someone to come take the body. Worry about your  _ cyar’ika.” _

Rex swallows and nods, and Cody walks away to talk to Naas and Brii and Echo. Anakin, more reluctantly, also steps away to talk on his wristcomm, leaving Rex sitting on the floor holding Ahsoka with his hand curled over her shoulder.

“I don’t think anything too serious is wrong with her,” Kix says, wincing. “She needs to rest.”

“Thanks,  _ vod.” _

“Rex,” and Ahsoka turns her head so her voice isn’t muffled against him anymore, “my sabers.”

“Oh, right. I’ll have somebody find them.” Rex looks around for a  _ vod  _ that doesn’t look completely terrified, settles on Dogma. “Hey, Dogma,  _ vod,  _ can you go find the General’s sabers for her?”

Dogma nods, hurries over in the direction of Naas’ bunk, and Rex puts both arms back around Ahsoka now that Kix has gotten up and gone over to Naas to look at him. He shouldn’t leave everything to Cody, but he can have a few minutes. Ahsoka’s okay, she’s right here, he has her. He curls one hand over her back headtail, gentle, glad for the lights in the barracks and the fact that he has her, now.

He cannot keep losing people to threats he can’t deal with, but if  _ this  _ is what the Jedi have been worrying about, he’s not sure there’s anything he can do about it.

~~~

Everything _ hurts. _

Ahsoka presses closer to Rex, closing her eyes tightly against the too-bright lights, twists her hand more into his shirt. Everything hurts and she's cold and small, and there was a _ Sith _ in the barracks, and she was _ useless. _

Naas is okay, but that's not because of her. She thinks that Darth Sidious just decided getting caught in a fight wasn't worth the risk, or maybe he just changed his mind - either way, she couldn't do _ anything _ against him, all it took was a little Force-lightning and she was useless.

She shivers, a bit, whispers, “Rex, I'm cold,” although it's less a physical cold, more something invasive and creeping she can't shake.

_ (Useless, useless, useless. You'll never be able to protect them on your own.) _

Rex tugs her closer and that helps, a little. “It's okay, I've got you.” He soothes one hand up and down her headtail, the repetitive motion a comfort, but it can't help the _ cold. _

“He-” and she can't, so she just shakes her head. She's so _ tired, _ she wants to sleep and not have to think. (She couldn't protect them.) “I want to sleep, Rex.”

She's _ tired _ and small and cold and everything burns, her muscles still trembling, and someone is _ dead _ and it's all just too  _ much. _

“That's a good idea,” Rex says. “Why don't I take you back to my bunk?”

“Okay,” she whispers, and then, “stay with me?”

“After I make sure everyone's okay,” he says, soft, reassuring, and then he scoops her up into his arms and stands, carefully. She keeps her face pressed against his shoulder as he carries her back over to his bunk, sets her down.

She bundles herself up in the blankets but that's not _ enough, _ and then Rex is pressing a kiss to her forehead and stepping away and she _ knows _ he has to go check on the men but as soon as he's gone everything just gets _ worse, _ the cold sharper and deeper like a blanket of snow, and she closes her eyes tight and curls up small, hugs herself.

“Here, General,” Dogma says, and she opens her eyes to see him holding out her sabers, looking concerned. She musters up a grimacing smile for him, reaches out and takes them, tucks them underneath her pillow. “Everything's gonna be fine, sir.”

“Yeah,” she manages, raspy, swallows hard and closes her eyes. She can't look at him. “Thanks.”

“You're welcome, sir,” he says, and then he turns and leaves, and she makes herself as small as she can beneath the blankets and hopes Rex will come back soon.

Everything's too cold and heavy, without him.

_ (You'll never be able to save them on your own. Lucky for you, you aren't.) _


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's some angst, hurt/comfort, and fluff for y'all, have fun

Rex joins Cody after he lays Ahsoka down on his bunk, finds his  _ ori’vod  _ standing over the fallen, riven form of his  _ vod,  _ who Rex can recognize now in the glaring white light as Ket. One of the only ones Rex could save from Maul, dead despite all of that. Grief seizes up his chest tight and sharp like somebody’s struck him, and he shakes his head, silent.

He’s so sick of it hurting so much, but he clenches his fists and just adds the loss to the list of names in his head.

“I’m so sorry,  _ ori’vod,” _ Cody says, softly. “This isn’t right.”

“No,” Rex agrees, running a hand over his face. “Can you stay in our barracks tonight? I don’t… I’m not sure he won’t come back. I’d feel easier.”

“I wouldn’t make much of a difference if he did,” Cody says, neutral.

“That’s not the point.” The point is that Cody is his  _ ori’vod  _ and  _ ori’vode  _ means protection, means safety, and Rex needs that right now. “I’ll… deal with this,” and he gestures at Ket’s body, tears cutting off his sentence before he gains control of them. He thinks he’s cried more in recent memory than he ever used to. “And I’ll look after the rest of them, but can you just… can you help me keep them safe? Please?”

Cody sighs, puts a hand on the back of his neck and presses their foreheads together. “Yeah, of course. You gonna be okay?”

Rex laughs bitterly. “Probably. Can’t really tell these days.”

He bends down, puts his hand on Ket’s chest for a second, then sighs and comms people to deal with the body in the barracks, and walks over to check on Naas, who’s been coaxed onto a bunk and is being treated by Kix; he’s still sobbing, so Rex hugs him until he calms down a little.

If he hadn’t broken Je’kai out, he doesn’t think this would have happened. There’s nothing he can or wishes he could do about that, it’s just the way it is.

One of his younger  _ vode  _ broke some of his fingers when the Sith pushed them all back, so Rex sits him down and works on his hand, since Kix and the junior medics that are in the barracks are busy with his  _ vode  _ that were choked and a couple of men who apparently ended up with injured heads and ribs. After that, he makes a few more rounds to check on everyone and set up a guard rotation for the night.

Then he goes back to his bunk, eases himself down next to Ahsoka, face to face with her, and tucks his arms around her, pulling her close to his chest and sighing against her montrals. She curls up small against him, resting a hand over his heart, and he can feel she’s shivering, so he reaches for the blanket, pulls it more securely over both of them.

_ “Ner’jetii, _ I’m sorry,” he says, quietly, rubbing his hand slightly back and forth against her spine. “I’m sorry he did that to you.”

She shudders harder, tucks her head under his chin and whispers, “I couldn’t  _ do  _ anything, I couldn’t stop him.”

Rex sighs.  _ Welcome to my world,  _ he wants to say, doesn’t, because he understands why it might frustrate her more than him. “If you’re right, Ahsoka,” he says, “that was the Sith Master you’re all looking for. It’d be kind of surprising if you  _ could _ wake up from a sound sleep and defeat him.”

And that’s a whole different problem.

Rex feels Ahsoka shake her head, quickly. “But he could've- taken Naas. All it took was one burst of lightning and I was useless.”

“That’s not really a  _ small thing,  _ ‘Soka,” Rex says, sighing. “You shouldn’t be ashamed of that.”

“I should've protected him.”

“But you tried, and he's alright, so it's okay. I keep telling you, Ahsoka, you just have to try and that has to be enough.” Has to be enough or there will be no more peace for them, no more strength to keep going.

Ahsoka murmurs, uncertain, “But what if he had taken Naas?”

Then it would have been Rex's fault, and Je'kai would  _ never _ forgive him for it. But there's no point in dreading things that didn't happen.

“He didn't,” Rex says firmly. “That's the important thing. There's no use wasting time worrying about what doesn't exist.” It only makes the hard things worse, and he knows she knows that.

~~~

Ahsoka shakes her head a little, presses closer to Rex, closing her eyes and almost desperately soaking in the _ warmth _ of his presence. It's not quite enough to totally dispel the _ cold _ of the Dark, but it- helps.

She's the only one in the barracks who stands any chance against a Sith. She  _ should've done better. _

_ (You can't. You're weak and useless and you fail and you lose them and they die. How long before your precious Captain is next?) _

She wants to scream.

“It would've been my fault,” she breathes, wraps an arm tight around Rex's side and shivers. “If he had.”

“And mine,” Rex says, seriously. “But mostly, the  _ Sith's. _ It's not your fault if you do everything you can and it's not enough.” He rubs at her montrals with his fingers, soothing, and she leans into the touch.

“But I-” She stops, shakes her head a tiny bit. He doesn't _ understand _ \- as a Jedi, she has to be held to a higher standard,  _ especially _ now that she's a General with hundreds of men to protect (and she can't seem to do it). So she just sighs, says, barely a whisper, “Can I sleep now?”

“Of course you can,” he says, so very soft, “it's okay.”

“But- what if he comes back?” She looks up at him, swallows hard, for some reason on the edge of tears.

_ (If he comes back, you will be just as powerless to stop him… but there is a way to fix that.) _

Rex kisses her forehead, gentle. “Then Anakin's here, and we'll deal with it. But I don't think he will.”

Somehow, that's comforting, and he feels a bit warmer, which is good, it helps. So Ahsoka closes her eyes and scoots as close as possible, waits for sleep to take her.

But before she sleeps, she decides she will do whatever she has to to protect them, next time.

No more.

~~~

The battalion doesn't sleep well, collectively, wakes up and gets up as soon as it's not the ass-crack of dawn. Jesse doesn't think General Skywalker slept at  _ all _ \- either way,  _ he _ sure didn't. He pushes himself off his bunk, kits up with jittery fingers, and marches over to his General, who's talking to the men already again and twisting his hand in his hair.

Jesse tugs on his kama, goes up to General Skywalker and salutes tiredly. “What are we going to do about this, sir?” He gestures around the barracks, loose and exhausted.

He's glad they took Ket's body away. He still feels nervous, sick, like if he looks over by the door he'll see him.

This is  _ horrible. _ He's beginning to think their battalion’s luck has finally run out, like Dip's joke is actually true; nothing goes right anymore.

Except saving Je'kai, but he's a little worried about that now too.

General Skywalker sighs, heavily. “I have to go talk to the Council in a bit.” Jesse can't help dreading the idea of the General leaving again. “They're sending Temple guards - not shocktroopers, but our guards, the ones with sabers - to keep watch.”

That's a relief. Jesse nods, thoughtfully and weary. “That'll be good.” More sabers is good. Except he thinks it'll make Naas nervous, but the benefits are more important.

“i hope so.” Anakin looks around distractedly, shaking his head hard, and Jesse looks over at Cody, who's been on watch all night. Jesse kept trying to rotate the guard keeping watch but Cody refused to go to sleep. Jesse has a better idea of  _ why _ than he wishes he did since his Commander and Cody decided to discuss all their problems in front of him after Ahsoka and he and Rex were arrested.

Rude.

All of a sudden there's pounding on the barracks door, and everyone jolts; Jesse panics a little until he remembers their old friend Admiral Lareen's promise to come back in the morning to talk to them.

She's not talking to his brothers and his General today.

He explains this to General Skywalker as they go over to the door with Cody, who's glaring, like he'd like to see someone  _ try _ to get past him. Honestly, so would Jesse.

“I'll get rid of her,” Anakin growls, keying in the door code and setting a hand on his saber.

Jesse smiles just a little. “Good.”

He's a little afraid as the door opens that it will just be the Sith again, that some dark figure will turn and choke him and kill his brothers, that he'll laugh and electrocute Skywalker and take Naas and maybe it'll just be Maul and he'll cut them all to pieces like Ket-

But it's just the admiral with troopers, glaring, arms crossed. “What the hells is going on?”

“Now's not a good time,” Anakin growls, goes to shut the door again.

“Hang on.” Lareen is  _ pissed off _ and Jesse kind of wants to punch her. “I need to question more of these men about the prison break yesterday, and General Tano, and  _ you two-”  _ referring to Anakin and Cody with a sharp gesture, “-for that matter. It's vitally important.”

“No, what's  _ vitally important _ is that you get the  _ kriffing hells  _ away from these barracks because there was a Sith here last night and they lost a trooper and the Jedi are sending a guard here to protect these men.” Anakin smiles, sharp, angry. “And you're in the way.”

“This is an ongoing GAR investigation, I will not-”

“Get out.” Cody interrupts her, icy and immovable. “This investigation far takes priority over yours. We will comm you if we are free to discuss the break-out with you but you will leave. Now.”

Lareen rakes him with a scathing glare, but Cody doesn't even blink, and between him looking like an angry statue and Anakin glowering and Jesse himself just trying to look as unwelcoming as possible, she turns around with a sharp signal and storms off, imperious.

Jesse is desperately, stupidly relieved she's gone. He wants to go sit with Kix and not think about things, but he can't, so instead he walks back with Skywalker and joins him in pacing up and down through the barracks, counting steps and brothers and hoping that means he doesn't have to lose them again.

~~~

Ahsoka doesn't sleep well, after the Sith. Her nightmares are worse than usual, even, and there's a pair of glowing golden eyes featuring predominantly in every dream.

By the time it's late enough in the morning she doesn't want to go back to sleep again, the barracks are a hum of activity. Anakin, Cody, and Jesse are at the door, talking to someone - she's not sure who - and only half the lights are on, out of courtesy to the people who are still pretending they can get more sleep.

Rex is awake, she sees, when she shifts back enough to look up at him; he smiles down at her, a little bit, and she tries to return it, can't. “Morning,” she rasps, softly, closes her eyes again.

“There you are,” Rex says, fondly, and she grumbles a bit at him.

“You're- probably gonna want to stay here all day, aren't you,” she mumbles into his chest, sighing sadly. Before the Sith attack, she'd hoped maybe they could have a day just to be by themselves, peaceful, but now? The men are worried and everything's gone wrong again and she knows he won't want to leave. And they'll need him, really. (And she needs him too, but- the men have always been more important.)

“A Sith just broke in here, ‘Soka, there are things to deal with,” he says, and she swallows.

Of course there are, and really, she should've known better than to even think-

Never mind.

“Yeah,” she says, shaky for some reason, “I know. Sorry.”

She shouldn't have suggested it.

_ “Cyar'ika, _ it's okay,” he says. “I just want to make sure everything's in order before I think about doing something else.”

She shakes her head a bit, doesn't look up at him, shivers a bit. “I get it,” she tells him, and really she does. “I didn't want to do anything anyway.”

That's a bit of a lie, but it's what she _ should _ want, after this attack - she needs to be focused on her battalion instead of just being selfish and thinking about herself.

So. Get rid of the idea of maybe showing Rex the gardens. He probably wouldn't enjoy it anyway.

~~~

Rex props himself up on one elbow, a little frustrated. “What’d you want to do?” he asks, matter-of-factly, trying for a smile because if he’s honest, the idea of a distraction is  _ wonderful,  _ as long as he can still make sure his men are alright. And he can tell she was thinking about something - even if that just means a nap or sparring somewhere private, he wants to know. He wants to  _ rest,  _ just for a bit, and he knows she needs to also.

She shrugs a bit and says, hesitantly, “Well, I was just thinking- maybe we could take a picnic basket and a blanket and just go see the Temple gardens, but- it’s a stupid idea, the men need you today.”

Rex hums, smiling slightly. It sounds like a nice idea - almost ridiculously so, it just… it sounds peaceful. He needs that. “The men need you too,” he admonishes, gently. “But they need either of us all the time, and I’m guessing…” He glances over at Anakin, who’s striding among the bunks, restlessly. “I don’t think General Skywalker’s going anywhere for a while.”

“I haven’t been very good for them lately,” she says, hushed and raspy. “I was just thinking maybe a day off would be good, but that’s… probably not very-” She pauses a bit, and Rex sighs, aching, forces his face mostly blank, but soft. “It’d be selfish, after everything that happened, so I guess never mind.”

“I hope it’s not selfish,” Rex says, more cheerfully than he feels. “Because I’d kind of like to do that.” He’s worried about her, she doesn’t seem to be doing  _ better  _ lately and while he’s not necessarily one to judge her for it, he’s still concerned. And he doesn’t really know how to help anymore.

“But… the men won’t want you to go,” Ahsoka says, uncertainly, and Rex thinks that  _ anyone  _ leaving right now would concern his  _ vode,  _ but they’re all thinking Humans, they’ll be fine. As long as he knows no one can get into his barracks and hurt them.

“Ahsoka, it’ll be fine,” he sighs, easing himself off his elbow to lay back down and scrub his hands over his face. “We just need some rest, and that sounds nice, for later.”

She seems smaller than she has in a long time. He doesn’t understand, entirely. “If you’re sure, I’d- like that.” She presses her face into his chest, and he sighs, chuckles a bit.

“I don’t usually lie about things like picnics.” He rubs her shoulder and closes his eyes for a second, sighing. He almost doesn’t want to get up and face the fact that there’s yet another thing to protect his men from, and that he lost  _ another _ brother last night.

But pretending won’t do him any good. So that means confronting it all again.

~~~

Ahsoka forces herself to get up at the same time Rex does, goes and talks to a few of the men while Rex talks with Anakin and Cody and Jesse. It turns out, from what she can hear of their conversation, that Lareen had come back (as promised - or threatened), and that between the three of them they'd driven her off. Anakin also mentions something about Temple guards coming to keep watch, and that's good, she thinks.

She sits with Brii for a few minutes, watches as he sketches a rough, dark shape with clawed, grasping fingers. He doesn't say what he's drawing, but she thinks she knows anyway.

There's a brief conversation with Beta, who _ wants _ to stay with the men, but as he says, “I promised Alpha I'd come spend today with him in the medbay, so…” and he shrugs, trailing off.

She understands. She thinks maybe he needs to see Alpha  _ more _ after all this, to reassure himself that his _ vod _ is still safe.

Naas doesn't look good at _ all. _ She lets Echo and Kix handle that, for the most part (although Naas doesn't look like he's talking at all); however, she finds Orikih hiding under a bunk, still, and manages to coax the kitten out. She curls up very small and shaking in Ahsoka's arms and lunges for Naas as soon as she's close enough to jump. Ahsoka _ thinks _ that helps a bit, but she's really not sure.

All told, it's a couple hours before Rex comes over and says he's ready to go. Ahsoka grabs her blanket off his bunk and they walk to the Temple, and thankfully there aren't many protesters today because she's not sure she could handle that. She has Rex wait while she goes into the Temple cafeteria and fills a bag with food, and then she leads him through the winding halls to the courtyard. There's rich green grass and riotous beds of wildflowers and trees, and a little ways further back there's a small creek. That's what she makes for, because it's secluded, a ways away from the bright fountain and cobblestone paths that wind through the gardens, leading to various nooks and benches where many Jedi like to meditate.

She doesn't say anything to Rex, but when they reach the spot, she spreads her blanket out and sets the bag of food down, waits for Rex to sit down before curling herself into his side. She's _ cold _ and nothing is working, not the sunlight bright and golden on her back, not _ anything. _ The only thing close to warm is Rex, and so she presses closer to him, because something about this cold is _ familiar _ and it's terrifying her.

~~~

It’s so much  _ better  _ out here. Rex knows that part of that is the sun and the growing things, suspects that part of it is actual  _ Light _ \- that’s usually a factor, here in the Temple. He still doesn’t like the Force, but he admits to being alright with the Light Side.

Rex kisses Ahsoka’s cheek and reaches for the food, happy for the chance to sit down and eat a real good meal. She’s brought bread and fruit and tubers and some sort of cake and caf - not much meat though. The Jedi don’t make much sense to him sometimes, but they still have good food.

“How big are these gardens?” he asks, peering at a bowl of tubers and vegetables and some kind of meet all mixed together. He sticks a finger in, tastes the sauce, and decides he likes it.

“Pretty large,” she says. “I’ve heard Obi-Wan say there could be a hundred Jedi meditating here and none of them would know the others were around.”

“And you’re sure that’s not just because you Jedi are a lot of quiet, subtle bastards, right?” Rex asks, casually, grinning.

“Hey now!” Ahsoka elbows him, laughing a bit. “Don’t be rude.”

“I’m never rude.” He rolls his eyes, reaches into the bowl and snags a piece of meat between his fingers, pops it into his mouth and chews dramatically. “They taught us a lot about manners on Kamino, Ahsoka, and I’m offended you’d suggest otherwise.”

“Like the Kaminoans have  _ manners,”  _ Ahsoka mutters, dismissive, although she’s tired enough that she sounds more serious than bantering.

Rex snorts, humorless, and digs around for a fork so he can eat properly. “They’ve got lots of manners,” he mutters. “That’s not exactly the problem.”

“I don’t like them.”

“That makes all of us.” Rex curls his lip a little. “It's hard to like people who created millions of new Humans to die and taught them that was the only way it could be.” He doesn't mean to sound so bitter, it just comes out. He knows it wasn't just the Kaminoans, understands all the other factors, but still.

“They're still making more clones, all the time. Raising them to think that way.” Ahsoka has a familiar angry bite behind her voice, quiet and dissatisfied. It's the sort of tone that always makes he and his brothers feel understood, grateful. Someone else is angry on their behalf, so it isn't just them.

“I know,” Rex growls. All of them being told this war is an honor to fight, never mind how they'll walk into their first battles and lose brothers and be the only ones left and nobody told them this would happen.

Rex has honor in fighting but not the way the Kaminoans taught them.

“When the war ends, then they won't,” Rex says.

But then he has to worry about something else entirely, about what happens at the end of the war to millions of homeless soldiers. Somebody has to help them.

But he won't stop fighting, himself, not if he can help it.

~~~

Ahsoka shakes her head, leans more into Rex with a sigh, takes a piece of cake and nibbles at it, sips at a mug of caf. “What happens to them, at the end of the war? All the, the cadets?” They're _ kids, _ even if most of them are better-trained as soldiers than many adults. She doesn't think the galaxy will look at them that way, though. And not to mention the battalions, what will they do when the Republic no longer needs its Grand Army? “What happens to all of you?”

Rex shakes his head. “I don't know. I think we're all a little afraid they'll just get rid of us or lock us back on Kamino?” He pauses, like he's considering, then adds, “I can't let them do that, though.”

“No,” Ahsoka agrees, sighs tiredly. “You won't be the only one fighting that, though.” No matter what happens, she _ will _ find a way to protect her men.

“I hope not.” He sounds so _ tired. _

“I  _ promise,” _ she says, low, turns so she can look up at him. “We'll fight for you, at least some of us will.”

“Thanks,” he says, serious, kisses the top of her head.

She can't quite smile at him, but she tilts so she can kiss his cheek, light. “I love you.” For some reason, that feels extra important to say, right now.

“I love you too,” he says thickly, and she tightens her arm around him.

Whatever happens, she _ will _ protect him, him and her men. From everything.

~~~

As always, it’s reassuring when Ahsoka says she cares, she’ll fight for them, she won’t let Rex and his brothers end up nothing but discarded parts at the end of the war. However much he wishes she wouldn’t blame herself for all the lives lost, wouldn’t be so guilty, the fact that she values them as people enough to  _ care _ \- he doesn’t take that lightly. Rex puts an arm around her, closes his eyes for a moment.

It’s beautiful out here. The grass, the flowers, the trees and water. It’s nice to sit. But Rex still feels a little like he’s stifling. So many losses. If he’s honest, all he wants is his brothers back. All the ones he’s lost since his first campaigns, the ones taken from him, because it isn’t fair. And he knows that isn’t a viable thing to want, knows there’s no getting them back, but that doesn’t change the fact that he  _ wants. _

When he earned his jaig eyes, he told Cody he didn’t care if the marks of bravery were supposed to be an honor. He just didn’t want to be only one left over. Why was it supposed to be such a good thing to live if the rest of them were dead?

Cody hadn’t known. Rex still doesn’t know what his answer is.

“I’m tired,” he says, heavily. He is  _ exhausted, _ and there is too much loss, and he aches where he can’t reach the pain. Even when this war is over and there is no battle left to kill his  _ vode, _ their legacy is millions of dead and names they can’t count and scars carved deep into their skin, and all of these things have earned them everyone’s contempt.

“Me too,” she says, leaning further into his side. She sighs. “I wish I could help.”

“I know.” Rex shakes his head. “Thanks. This is nice, so.” He squeezes her shoulder lightly.

“I think so too,” Ahsoka says, with a tense half-smile. She leans up to kiss his cheek, and Rex can’t really find a smile in response. It's too heavy and too much and he knows it'll pass but it just keeps happening, over and over, all his family. He fights for them and still always loses them and he has to wonder a little if he's really right, if trying is enough, if the fight is worth it if he keeps  _ losing. _

But regardless of whether it’s right or not, it’s what everyone needs him to be, so he can’t think about this right now. So he just rubs Ahsoka’s shoulder and sighs a little bit, trying to breathe out all of the tension. She closes her eyes, frowning slightly, and Rex watches her face and examines all her markings again. He keeps noticing they’ve changed a little since he last really looked.

She’s beautiful.

He doesn’t tell her often enough, probably. He’s not sure how he’s supposed to know, anyway.

Ahsoka opens her eyes with a tiny grin, and Rex follows her look over to a nearby tree, where a the tip of a white ear is poking out around the trunk, shortly followed by the rest of a white loth-cat with long, long fur. He smiles a little, and the cat trundles towards them with a loud, almost-human-sounding meow. It’s adorable, has green eyes. Rex is glad it goes up to Ahsoka and not him; he doesn’t know what to  _ do  _ with pets. They don’t make much sense to him, what’s even the  _ point? _

Still, he reaches over to the ball of grumpy fluff pawing at Ahsoka’s leg and runs his hand over its back, making it meow again. “Did you get it to come here?” he asks, smiling.

~~~

“Yeah,” Ahsoka says, smiling a bit and scooping the cat up into her lap, humming. “He's cute, isn't he?”

“Yeah, I guess,” Rex says, smiling a little, and then, awkward and flushing, “Not as cute as you.”

She blushes orange, looks away from her cat to curl one hand around the back of his neck so she can kiss him. She pulls back and tilts her forehead against his, scratching her cat. “You're ridiculous,” she says, warmly, and soft, giggling a bit.

“Yeah, I know,” he says, wryly.

She shakes her head, smiles. “Lucky for you, I love you anyway.”

“Thank you for that,” he says, snorting, and she shakes her head, pulls back so she can pet her loth-cat. 

This is nice, here, with Rex, just the two of them. She's glad he convinced her to come.

For a while, they just sit quietly, eating their food and Ahsoka petting the cat; then, after a bit of this, Rex reaches over and starts rubbing at the points of tension in her montrals, especially beneath her headdress. It feels _ good _ and she hums in pleasure and tilts her head into his hand, closing her eyes, feels the tension leaving her muscles with a sigh of relief.

This is  _ nice. _ She could stay here for a long time.

“Why do you wear this,” and he taps her headdress with one finger, lightly, then goes back to his massaging, “if it always gives you a headache?”

Ahsoka shrugs a bit, hums. “It looks nice, and it's more mature-looking that the akul-tooth one.” She huffs a soft breath, a small sound, as his fingers find a particularly sensitive spot, leans more into him. “And since I'm a Jedi Knight now, and a General, I figured I should at least _ look _ like I'm mature enough for the job.” His fingers feel _ good. _

“How are the akul teeth _ not _ mature? I thought-” and he stops, uncertain.

She's surprised he knew what they mean. “I killed an animal to get them, when I was like twelve,” she says, quietly, eyes still closed. “The akul wasn't trying to kill me, or anything - I hunted it down. Jedi aren't supposed to take pride in, well, killing something innocent, whether that's a person or an animal.” She sighs. That's just basic knowledge of the Code and the Jedi teachings.

“Wasn't that supposed to be important, though?” Rex asks, carefully, and she shrugs one shoulder.

“In Togruta culture, yeah - the akul hunt is like,” she hesitates, “like a sort of coming of age thing. Not everyone can get akul teeth. But,” and she shakes her head a bit, careful not to dislodge his hand, “they don't really mean anything to the Jedi, so…” She shrugs a bit.

Some of the Jedi had been downright _ disgusted _ when she'd explained the significance of the teeth, as a youngling. Eventually she'd stopped. (She's not sure when they stopped being a source of pride - probably around the same time.)

~~~

Rex stills his hand against Ahsoka’s montrals, frowning. “So what?” he says, oddly set on edge.

Ahsoka shrugs. “So I just stopped wearing them, it’s- yeah.”

“You didn’t use to care,” Rex says, carefully, and realizes he’s part anxious, part angry. If that tradition is important to her people, then the Jedi can’t say it’s not.

“I didn’t use to be a Jedi Knight, either,” she points out, mildly, and Rex sits back a little, crossing his arms.

“So what?” he repeats.

Ahsoka grumbles at him slightly, twisting to give him a look, but he keeps his arms firmly crossed, so she explains, “The act of killing an innocent animal, hunting it down, even, isn’t something that I, as a Jedi, should be proud of.”

Rex isn’t sure what to say to that. Maybe that’s true, for the Jedi, and if he thought she really believed that, then he might let it go. But he’s not sure, he’d thought the tooth headdress was important to her, and now she just keeps it in a box, and he doesn’t think she really could have just decided they  _ weren’t  _ important just because somebody gave her a new title. Right? “Well,” he says, after a moment’s thought,  _ “Are _ you proud of it?”

She looks down, shifts her weight a little. “I shouldn’t be,” she says, again.

“That wasn’t the question. Are you?”

“Does it matter?”

“Yeah, it kind of does,” Rex says, confused and a little frustrated. “That’s why I’m asking.”

“Well, I- used to be, but…” Ahsoka shrugs, still not looking at him. “They told me not to be.”

Rex reaches out and grabs her shoulder, moving over so he can look at her face, shaking his head. “So that’s it, is it, you’re just gonna give that up because you think you’re supposed to?”

“I need them to think I’m- that I can do this, Rex,” she says, and Rex sighs.

“So how far is that going to take you, Ahsoka?” Of course, ever since he’s met her, she’s been trying to become a Knight, he knows that - but he’d expected her not to keep  _ all  _ of the Jedi’s traditions, not to become as reserved and detached as most of them. Now he’s a little worried. “They obviously already think you can do it, that’s why they Knighted you in the first place.”

Ahsoka flinches. “But all I’ve done so far is  _ fail.” _

“Through no fault of your own,” Rex says, firmly, almost sharp. “And nobody’s been disappointed in you and no one trusts you less.” Except Anakin, but that’s an entirely different problem. None of them can help that, much as they’d like to.

Ahsoka shrugs, and Rex can’t help an impatient surge of disappointment. He sits back, bracing himself on one hand, and rubs his forehead restlessly. He shouldn’t be angry with her, it’s just he doesn’t even know if she’s  _ listening  _ to him.

“I…” Ahsoka hesitates, “do kind of want it back.” The headdress, she means.

“So, then…” Rex says, nudging, quiet.

~~~

Ahsoka swallows, shrugs a bit. “I don't know,” she says, tiredly, scoops the cat off her lap and cradles it to her chest. “I just… but I guess it probably really doesn't matter what I'm wearing on my head anyway.”

“I guess not,” he says, sounds frustrated still, and she frowns a bit.

“No, I mean-” and she stops, shakes her head. “Never mind.” She doesn't know how to explain it.

But she thinks maybe after this, she'll go get her akul teeth out again. At the very least, they don't give her a headache.

Rex sighs, settling a hand on her back, and she leans into him a bit, admits, almost sheepishly, “It actually felt really nice, when you were, well,” and she frees one arm (upsetting the loth-cat) to gesture at her montrals.

“That was kind of the point,” he says, wryly, and she snorts.

“You're honestly better at finding the worst spots than everyone except Master Ti,” she says, chuckling a bit. “When my growing pains were really bad Anakin would try to help, but-” and she shakes her head. “He tried, at least.”

“Well, I guess,” Rex starts, a bit awkwardly, “we had bad growing pains, us clones. The accelerated aging - we had to figure out what worked best as fast as possible.”

She hums a bit, sympathetic. “I still hate that they made you go through that,” she grumbles, shakes her head some. “But anyway, it's just- yeah,” and she blushes just a little. She thinks she should not really mention just _ how _ nice it feels, that would make things awkward, probably.

“Yeah, well, that's the best way to make an army in a hurry,” he says, hesitantly sets his hand back on her montrals again.

She hums, closes her eyes, says, “It's still stupid.”

She really doesn't like the Kaminoans.

“Also,” she adds, “you should keep doing that.” She doesn't have much of a headache today, but it still feels _ good. _

~~~

Rex frowns a little, although he does keep massaging Ahsoka's head. It's a little hard to forget, at times, that her allowing him to do this is unusual, and says a lot about what she feels about him. That's not strictly a problem, but… He's still…

Well. She's let him do this for a long time. And that either means it doesn't mean as much to her as others of her people, or, well, she'd felt a lot for him for a  _ very  _ long time and he kept encouraging her and then ruining it. Which he knows he'd done, but… With the meaning of this particular gesture, it would be worse than he'd even thought.

_ Kark. _

“Hey, Ahsoka,” he says, stilling his fingers, not entirely sure what he plans to say but suddenly  _ very  _ worried. “You… You've been letting me do this,” he taps his finger lightly against her montrals, “for a while.” It's not a question, exactly, but his voice tilts up anyway with concern.

“Yeah,” she says, “I told you, it's nice.”

She doesn't even let Kix treat her montrals and headtails, not unless he's  _ careful. _

Rex pulls his hand back, frowning, rubbing his fingers together. She opens her eyes to glare at him, a little, nose wrinkling. “Hey,” she huffs, and he rubs his face, somewhat disbelieving.

“Why'd you let me?” he asks, because the dumb book said and she implied that she lets him touch her montrals because she thinks of him like a mate, whatever that means, and if he's been doing this since, since when, Wasskah and the Citadel mission before that, at  _ least,  _ then he'd  _ definitely _ hurt her more than he even thought he was (which is, unfortunately, saying something).

“Why'd I let you what?” asks Ahsoka, still glaring, and Rex shakes his head, sighing.

“Touch you like… like, I don't know, we were married or something, I  _ know  _ other people don't, so- Kark it, Ahsoka, I never  _ realized.” _ He runs his hand anxiously over his scars, somewhere between feeling foolish and dismayed.

“I told you I love you, is that not reason enough?” she says, and that's the  _ problem. _

“Yeah, Ahsoka,” he says, swallowing. “But you let me  _ before,  _ when I- wouldn't stay. So…” He should apologize but he feels unsure of himself, still hopes maybe it's not so bad as he thinks.

“Yeah, you idiot,” she snorts, tugging her knees up to her chest and rolling her eyes, “I've loved you for a  _ while, _ this isn't exactly a new development.”

“But…” Rex frowns, rubs his head again. “I must have made it seem like I…” He trails off. The thing is, anything he says, they both already knew that he was being unkind, it's just that he didn't realize  _ how _ unkind. Like he didn't  _ care  _ about that, almost, he doesn't know. Karking  _ hells. _

~~~

Ahsoka shrugs. “Yeah, you did,” she says, honestly. “But we both already knew that, and it's over and done with, so why are you bringing it up now?”

“Because I didn't know it was like _ that, _ Ahsoka, I thought-” Rex shakes his head, frustrated. “I don't know, I didn't know I hurt you so much.”

She hesitates a bit, sets her cat down (much to its dismay) and leans forward, cupping his cheek with one hand. “It's over and done with,” she repeats, and the cat suddenly scrambles up onto Rex's legs, yowling for attention. “And we're _ fine _ now, so…”

“I just wish I had known,” he says, sounds almost _ disappointed, _ and he runs his hand down the cat's back.

“I don't,” she admits. “I liked the… the intimacy of it.” She pulls back a bit, blushing, reaches out and pets the cat too.

“But then I'd _ leave,” _ he says, almost sharp. “If I had known-”

She cuts him off. “You would've been way more distant, and that would've been-” She shakes her head, tiredly. “It's okay, Rex, really.”

“It doesn't feel okay,” he says, tired, and she shifts so she can lean into his side. “I'm sorry, Ahsoka.”

“I know,” she says, tilts his head towards her so she can kiss him, gently. “It's okay, Rex.”

“It's not.” He smiles a little at her.

“It _ is,” _ she insists. “You're being- trust me, it's _ fine.” _ She loves him, and everything turned out fine in the end, so… it's okay. Honestly.

~~~

Rex doesn’t like any of this, but at least he  _ knows  _ now - and she’s right, at least it’s done with. It’s not as if he didn't know he was a kriffing idiot, that's nothing new, this is just a little worse than he expected.

All that means is that Ahsoka's been even more forgiving than he knew. Which is impressive, really. One of the reasons he loves her.

So he smiles a little truer, cups his hand over her cheek and kisses her forehead.  _ “Mesh’la jetii,”  _ he says lightly, fond. “Thanks, ‘Soka.”

“That’s pretty,” Ahsoka answers, and Rex smiles wider. “What does it mean?”

“Well,” he says, a bit mischievous, “It means ‘beautiful Jedi.’” He shrugs a little, leaning back on his hands. “Seemed appropriate.”

“Thanks,” she stammers, apparently caught off guard, blushing.

Rex grins, pets the cat on his lap, and says, “Anytime, ‘Soka.” He was right, he should tell her what he thinks more often.

Ahsoka slides closer to him and reaches up, puts a hand on his shoulder and kisses him, soft. Rex sighs, closes his eyes, lets himself enjoy the warmth and closeness, the reassuring press of her hand against his collarbone. 

This - she - is good. Things are not alright, but he can remember they will be, times like these. Whatever else happens, there’s always  _ something _ left to hold onto. Right now, that’s Ahsoka. They’ll be okay.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *snickering*
> 
> *clears throat* I mean, we're sorry! Whoops!
> 
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A week after the Sith invaded the barracks, Ahsoka is summoned to meet with the Council, excluding Obi-Wan, who is still stuck in the medbay, recovering from the bombing on the Council chambers. The room has been mostly fixed, although the damage to the structure of the building required a maintenance team working through the nights to get it done in a week - but with the war reaching a crucial point, the Council needed their room back.

All that to say, she makes her way down the long, grand hallway to the far less elaborate set of double doors that replaced the ones that’d been blown off their hinges, nods at the pair of guards stationed at the door as they let her in. The whole Council (well, most of them, the few still out on the field outlined in glowing blue) is sitting in their chairs, and the room looks  _ mostly _ like it used to, if stained and darkened by smoke and ash. She manages a smile at them, adjusts her akul-tooth headdress self-consciously (she’d decided to wear it again, after her talk with Rex in the Temple garden), bows a bit. “You summoned me, Masters?”

“Yes,” Master Windu says, nodding. “We’ve received word that Grievous has been located on the planet Utapau, and that most of the remaining Separatist leaders are with him. We’re sending you and what’s left of the 501st, and giving you temporary command over the 212th for this mission.”

What?  _ What? _

No. They can’t be  _ serious. _ But everyone’s nodding, looks serious, and she shakes her head, quickly, says, “Masters, you can’t think - you know what happened on Mandalore, you can’t think I’m ready for this.”

“Think, we do not, Knight Tano,” Master Yoda says, almost reproachfully. “Long we have meditated on this decision. Feels right, this does. Go to Utapau, you will.”

“But-” Ahsoka shakes her head. “I  _ failed, _ Masters, on Mandalore I lost  _ so many men.” _

“That was not your fault,” Plo says, and she looks at him, hesitates. “You did the best you could, and in the end brought Maul down. You will succeed in this mission. I have faith in you, little ‘Soka.”

_ That’s good, _ she doesn’t say,  _ because I don’t have any in myself. _

_ (You will lose them all without help.) _

All she knows is she’s not going to be able to do this alone, and yet everyone’s nodding and smiling at her - don’t they  _ see? _ She’s going to  _ fail. _

But she just bows and says, “I will do my best. What are your orders regarding Grievous and the Separatists?”

“Capture as many of them as you can,” says Windu, “and attempt to subdue Grievous. However, if capture of the droid general proves difficult, kill him before letting him escape. We  _ cannot _ let this war go on any longer.”

“Understood,” Ahsoka says, and then she turns and strides out of the Council chambers, heading back for the barracks. She’ll have to brief them on the mission, then comm Cody and see what he knows.

_ (You cannot win this. But there is another way, and you don’t have to lose them all. You don’t have to fail…) _

~~~

Rex has the battalion more or less on standby; Ahsoka being called to the Council doesn’t necessarily mean a mission, but it’s always better ready than caught off guard. They haven’t received their new companies of troopers yet; almost seven hundred men, three or four companies, for an elite battalion, are not easy to replace this late in the war. So, despite the fact that leave has done them few favors, Rex isn’t eager to get a new assignment.

And he doesn’t want to leave Naas by himself, not now.

Still, he stays in full armor as he reads a manual, which is boring but apparently very important so he focuses on it as well as he can until there’s the sound of the barracks door opening and half of his  _ vode  _ standing up. Then he sets his datapad down, straightens up and strides over to Ahsoka, who looks worried and serious enough that he thinks they have some kind of mission after all.

“General,” he says. “Status?”

“We have an assignment,” she answers, firm, jaw set, but Rex thinks he catches a hint of an old, familiar uncertainty. “We’re going to Utapau - Grievous has been found there. There’s supposed to be a meeting of CIS leadership. I’ve got command of the 212th for this mission, too - I’m still putting together a plan, but we ship out in thirty, so get the men ready.”

Arresting Separatist leadership, if they could pull it off, would put them well ahead in this war. And it’s been a long time since they’ve caught up with Grievous, but if they can kill him now… they may be getting somewhere, at last. With what’s left of his battalion and the 212th, they could do this, Rex thinks. He’s not worried about Ahsoka not yet having a plan - this isn’t really an unfamiliar situation for any of them.

They’ve done this before, and they can do it again. They need to.

“On it, sir,” he says, with a slight smile.

“I’m going to discuss this with Cody,” she says, and Rex nods, quickly touches her shoulder.

“This’ll be good,” he says, trying to convince himself too. If they can win, get the planet back without losing the Separatist leaders, it could really make things take a turn for the better.

“I hope so,” Ahsoka answers, smiling tightly.

Rex steps back, salutes loosely. “Meet you in the hangar in twenty, General?”

“Sounds like a plan,” she says, and he nods and turns to give orders to his battalion.

As he’d said, he has his battalion in the hangar and on General Kenobi’s cruiser in twenty standard minutes, with light equipment and Kix’s medical supplies, and he waits by the loading ramp of the cruiser while the 212th loads up right after his own battalion, and Cody and Ahsoka walk into the hangar, talking very seriously to each other. Rex, helmet under his arm, nods at them as they come up to join him.

“Ready to go?” Ahsoka asks, and Rex nods.

“Whenever you are, sir.”

“Then let’s head out.” She gives him a small smile, and Rex nods, firm, turns to get on the cruiser despite a sudden stab of worry. She seems uncertain still, and he’s reminded of trying to help her after the first battle she commanded, and how she hadn’t wanted to take over another attack. This is sort of like that, he thinks, just harder.

This is the best way to deal with it, though, in his experience.

His  _ ori’vod  _ and his  _ cyar’ika  _ walk on either side of him up the ramp into the cruiser, and Ahsoka tells them she’s going to go meditate, so Rex goes to make sure his men are ready to go and have everything where it needs to be. He knows an excuse when he hears one, but Ahsoka does still have to make a plan and he decides to let her have her space.

Not for too long, though.

~~~

As soon as Ahsoka gets to her room, she lets out a heavy sigh and drops to sit cross-legged, closing her eyes and reaching for the Force. She has no idea how to _ do this, _ how to fight Grievous, how to plan, how to actually succeed. She _ has to, _ the Council is counting on her, and this could _ end the war, _ but- she's lost so many men, she keeps failing, how is she supposed to win?

_ You need help. _

She does need help, she knows that, but- there's no one. She's on her own.

_ Not exactly. _

What?

Ahsoka frowns, realizing quite suddenly that there's _ another voice in her head. _ Who- what is this, what's going on?

_ You know me, child. And I know you. I know that you need me, or you will fail. _ The voice feels _ cold, _ icy, and she shivers, tries to push it _ out, _ except-

She can't. Because it's not outside. It's  _ within her. _

_ Who are you and what do you want? _ Ahsoka snaps, sharp.  _ And why are you in my head? _

There's a hum of silky laughter, velvety and ancient.  _ I am here because you let me in, child, _ and a flash of _ you are mine now, _ and no, no, no, he can't-  _ As for what I want - to help you, of course. _

She can't-  _ I don't believe you, _ she hisses, gritting her teeth.  _ Get out of my head! _

_ Now, now, little Jedi, you need me. Without my help, your men will die, and we don't want that, now do we? _

She hesitates.

Remembers thinking she'd do anything to protect her men.

And no, she _ can't, _ oh Force, but-

But-

_ What… how can you help me? _ she asks, finally, swallowing a bit.

_ You need help planning your attack. I can help you with that. _

She considers that, for a moment. Because it's _ true, _ she needs help. Desperately.

And so-  _ Okay, _ she says, quietly.  _ I accept your help. _

And the Son starts to speak.

~~~

Once Rex has made sure all his men are settled in and double-checked their supplies, he heads toward the bridge and the nice set of cabins that are reserved for officers. Ahsoka will have taken the General's quarters, of course, so he goes up to the door and knocks lightly. “Ahsoka?”

“Come in,” she calls, and he hits the button for the door, finding it unlocked. Walks in and finds Ahsoka sitting on her bunk with her datapad. Rex's gut twists, he couldn't say why, and he looks closer at her and thinks she looks scared, nearly.

“How's it going?” he asks, going over to her bunk and sitting down. Something feels  _ off, _ here.

“Fine,” she says, setting aside her datapad and half-smiling at him. It's not convincing, but he doesn't say that. “I have a plan.”

“That's good!” Rex nods, quickly reaches up to brush her cheek. “So what is it?”

She sighs a little. “The information the Council gave me indicates that the local population is sympathetic to us - they’re the ones who tipped us off. Grievous likely has droid sentries watching for any arrivals, so I’m going to take a small force down, have a chat with the leaders while I send Fives and Echo to take out the sentries. Then we bring in the rest of the 501st, split up and sneak down through the tunnels and form a perimeter. Once we’ve engaged Grievous, I’ll have Cody bring the 212th in.” She shrugs, picks up her datapad and then puts it back down, looking a little unsure. “It’s the best I could come up with.”

“It’s a good plan,” Rex says, means it, nodding once. “As long as we can get those sentries down - but that shouldn’t be a problem for Fives and Echo.” Echo was always a good shot, and now with his prosthetic eye, his aim’s actually improved. “Do you want me to debrief the battalion?”

“In a few minutes, maybe,” Ahsoka says, quietly, and Rex nods and settles back a little on the bunk. “Could you just… stay with me, for a little bit, first?”

Rex smiles a little, tucks his arm around her shoulders. Of course he always wants their battles to go well, but perhaps today more than most days, for both of their sakes. He and his men, they can’t take another loss like the last one, and she can’t take another failure this soon. So he’s worried, and it’s harder than it usually is to lock all the nerves and adrenaline down into a narrow point of focus. “It’ll work,” he tells her, softly. “And we’ll be alright.”

“I hope so,” she says, smiling slightly, although she looks nervous, still. Gun-shy, he’d call it. Tugging her legs up under her and scooting over to lean against him, Ahsoka grabs the front of his cuirass and pulls him down a little so she can tilt her head up and kiss him. Rex sighs, kisses her back and puts his arms around her, careful not to hold so tight that his armor hurts her.

“You’re okay,” he tells her, insistent, brushing his forehead and nose against hers before he leans back again. “I get the feeling we’re gonna kick a lot of Separatist ass today.”

“Kick some stupid cyborg general ass, you mean,” Ahsoka corrects him, with a light laugh.

“Right,” Rex snorts, rolling his eyes. “The general plan is to teach those  _ mir’osike  _ a lesson.”

~~~

Ahsoka debriefs Cody and Rex about her finalized plan an hour or so before they drop out of hyperspace a ways from Utapau (they'll take smaller ships and transports down to the planet, wanting to stay as low profile as possible), then heads to the bridge, watches out the massive viewscreen and sighs tiredly. “We're coming out of hyperspace in thirty, sir,” one of the technicians, she thinks his name is Zeta, says.

“Thanks,” she says, rubs at her eyes and paces around her holomap of the sinkhole they're targeting, eyes it. She wishes they had a more concrete idea of where exactly the droids _ are, _ but… they'll make it work.

She comms Fives and Echo, has them meet her on the bridge, explains their parts as succinctly as she can - they're going to accompany her down to the surface in a small shuttle, and while she talks to the leader of the native population, they'll locate and snipe the two droid sentries. Hopefully that'll buy them enough time to make it down to Grievous without him being alerted, although stealth is going to be necessary on this mission.

“Meet me in the hangar in ten,” she says, and Fives and Echo both salute, and leave to get ready. She takes a few more minutes to iron out some details with Zeta and the other techs, then heads down to the hangar. Rex salutes her, casually, from where he's loading men into transports, and she smiles at him (a bit weakly) and salutes back.

_ What do you want in return for your help? _ she asks the Son, not for the first time. She _ knows him, _ there's no way he's just doing this out of the goodness of his heart. If she's not giving him something directly, he's getting something out of this, somehow. 

_ I told you, little Jedi, _ he hums,  _ nothing. _

_ I don't believe you. _

_ Believe what you want. There is nothing you can give me that I would desire. _

She doesn't like that answer, but she accepts it nonetheless. Fives and Echo are already waiting by the  _ Twilight, _ and she smiles at them, climbs in and they follow.

It's a short flight, once the cruiser comes out of hyperspace, and Ahsoka lands on the landing platform, lowers the ramp, steps outside, drawing the hood of her cloak up over her face. There's a brief conversation with a tall male Utapauan, in which she learns Grievous is on the tenth level, and then there's the sound of a pair of blasters firing once each, almost simultaneously. She taps her wristcomm, says, quietly, “Rex, you are good to go, bring the boys down,” smiles at the Utapaun.

This is going to work.

_ Of course it will, little Jedi. I don't fail. _

She pushes the Son away, with difficulty. He's too distracting right now and she needs to _ focus. _

~~~

Rex relays the signal to the rest of the transport along with a reminder that the key to this mission is  _ stealth. _ The transports split up, dropping off his men in large squads to take separate tunnels down to where the CIS leadership is meeting; he leads a squad of the remaining Torrent Company members and some of the battalion’s elite that’s supposed to join up with Ahsoka. Their small numbers are a good thing for this, although he'd be concerned if they didn't have back-up. Part of the advantage of the small force is that it should keep Grievous from running, because he'll think he can defeat them - and without the 212th, he'd probably be right.

Utapau is a planet full of craters, inhabited in levels that wind down into each other in tunnels - in a way, it’s like Coruscant, but in some ways more primitive, and the lower levels in the craters are not toxic like Coruscant’s manufactured levels. He and his squad meet Ahsoka in a tunnel near the small landing pad where she’d touched down, and he salutes.

“So far so good,” he says. “We weren’t seen.”

Except by the natives, who’d pretended to see nothing.

“Good,” Ahsoka says. She signals for them to follow her through the tunnel, and Rex thinks, for the thousandth time, that he doesn’t like tunnels. Or heights.

This karking place has  _ both. _

As long as the battle goes well and there aren’t too many losses, he thinks he’ll appreciate a good, stiff fight. He’s been too long on leave and too long in his own thoughts.

The tunnel is rough-hewn, rippled rock in places and chiseled in others that says that the natives carved much of this out of existing paths in the stone. They don’t meet many droids or sentients on the way down, although they are watching very carefully, and Rex can tell Ahsoka is listening closely to the Force. There is an encounter with a couple probe droids, which Rex and Jesse shoot down the moment they see the lights of their controls. When they occasionally walk past a Utapauan native, it’s always tense, although still the people pretend they don’t even  _ see  _ them, some fifty clones in armor with weapons drawn.

Rex thinks Ahsoka still looks worried, more than usual. Distracted, nearly, her hands tight around unlit sabers, and it’s concerning, so Rex quietly eases over to walk at her shoulder, so he can protect her better.

Their footsteps echo, but not too much - they are careful, especially as they get close to their destination and they begin to hear the sounds of an army: of droids, engines, and voices both sentient and mechanical. The tunnels change, too, grow wider and lit with orange lights and some shades of sunlight, and there are new gouges in the stone and here they have to softly, carefully, without blasters, destroy a small squad of droids. Other than the need to be quiet, it’s not a hard fight, and the only injury is a wrenched wrist for one of his  _ vode,  _ and then they go on.

Ahsoka holds up a hand to stop them as they come to the mouth of the tunnel, more or less, although she has stopped them well back. Here, the tunnel (more, it seems) open up into a wide, carved out system of caves, this one open to the sunlight that shines down the wide opening of the crater. Below them, there are tanks, battle droids and B2s, commandos (too many of those), destroyers, little R2 units and a few sentients who appear to be attendants and the like. There are catwalks here and there over this space, droids keeping lookout.

A signal comes over helmet comms, a crackle and a series of quiet calls of, “In position,” from the other squadleaders. Rex tells Ahsoka, quietly, and she edges closer to the mouth of the tunnel, looking down at their opponents with a practiced eye.

“Ready?” he asks her, smiling grimly behind his helmet.

“When I signal.”

Their squad shifts, and Rex turns on his helmet comms, ready to pass on the signal when it comes.

They are still for a heartbeat, then two, then three, and then Ahsoka holds her hand up and curls her fingers in a sharp gesture:  _ Now. _

Rex relays the order as Ahsoka starts out across one of the catwalks on light, silent feet. They are not so quiet, but they’re still quiet enough. Her job is taking on Grievous himself, they all know it. Although it could be helpful, Kix isn’t supposed to use his saber unless things get too tenuous. Drawing attention to your medic, making them a target, isn’t wise.

Most of the squads stay to the outer edges of the catwalk, although Rex’s stays close to Ahsoka with his squad so she’s not isolated. Really their force isn’t supposed to do anything more than hold Grievous and the CIS here until the 212th comes, but still, he hopes they can make a good go of it. No use leaving too much clean-up for Cody.

Ahsoka stops on the catwalk, looks down from where they stand almost directly above Grievous, and Rex doesn’t understand the look on her face. Something’s thrown her off, although he doesn’t know what.

He shifts his grip on both blasters, gritting his teeth, and waits to follow her lead.

~~~

_ There are too many droids, _ the Son hums, and Ahsoka frowns and shifts as she stares down at Grievous.  _ You are not strong enough on your own to challenge them all - you will be killed. I can help. _

_ And how would you do that? _ Ahsoka snaps. She's starting to get  _ frustrated _ with this voice in her head, wishes he'd never revealed himself at all. 

_ I am stronger in the Force than you. With your saber skills and my Force use, we could easily overpower everyone in this room. _

It sounds too good to be true.  _ What's the catch? _

_ There is no catch. _

Right, and she's _ blue. Which of us gets to be in control, then? _

_ This is a team effort, child, _ the Son says, like she's being ridiculous.  _ If I wanted to be in control, I would be. You are mine. _ She is not anyone's but Rex's.  _ I would be enhancing your connection to the Force, allowing you to channel more of it without injuring your little mortal mind, and showing you ways to use it, but the final choice would still, of course, be yours. _

She can't trust him, really, but- she _ has _ to protect her men. So,  _ Fine then, but if I tell you to stop you will, that's the deal. _

_ Of course, _ the Son says smoothly, and she swallows.

She doesn't really trust him, but what choice does she have?

Rex puts a hand on her shoulder, warm and reassuring, and the Son _ hisses. _

_ Shut _ **_up,_ ** she snaps, puts  _ weight _ and anger behind her words.  _ Don't talk about him like that. _

_ My apologies. _

She doesn't believe he's sorry, not for a moment.

They can't wait any longer, so Ahsoka lightly shrugs off her cloak, nods once at Rex, and flips herself over the catwalk railing, lands on the balls of her feet with her sabers lit. “Hello again, Grievous. Remember me?”

There are shouts of alarm from the CIS officials, but she ignores them, instead smiles and watches Grievous and waits, defensive.

“The child from the listening station,” the droid general says, surprised, coughs. “You didn't learn your lesson last time.”

“Actually,” Ahsoka says, “you're the one who didn't learn his lesson.” She feels rather than sees her men jumping over the catwalk edge to surround the officials and start attacking the droids, has to smile. “You're beat, Grievous.”

“We'll see about that,” he rasps, and then his arms split at the shoulders (karking unfair) and he ignites four lightsabers, starts spinning them, and launches at her.

She thought she was prepared for this, that her lightsaber skills at least would be enough.

She's not.

He's so _ strong, _ and it's all just flashing green and blue glows as he attacks, and she pushes herself as fast as she can, pulls on the Force, doing everything she can just to _ keep up. _ She's good but not _ enough, _ and she has no backup, and-

She almost misses one of the sabers and has to abruptly flip backwards to avoid getting sliced in half, and Grievous laughs. “I see no difference from the fumbling child of years ago.”

That's _ wrong, _ she's changed so much from the girl who lost almost all her troopers with her because she couldn't stop Grievous.  _ In a way, you haven't, _ the Son interjects, and she _ growls _ and shoves at his voice, but he's too entangled in her thoughts, now.  _ I told you, you will need me, or you'll fail. _

_ You're the one who helped me with this plan, _ she snarls, ducking under another saber and parrying the other three.  _ You couldn't have figured one out that didn't involve direct confrontation? _

_ I could have. But this is more fun, don't you think? _

_ Fun for you, maybe. _ For her it's just awful. She's going to fail and lose and her men will die and- and she shakes her head to clear it of those thoughts. They aren't helpful right now. She grits her teeth and uses her anger, just a little bit, to give her more strength.

_ Use the lightning. _ There's sudden memory of easy outrage flickering red and spidering from fingertips, slamming into a tall figure (the Father?), overwhelming it. 

_ That's the Dark Side, I will not, _ Ahsoka says, and then Grievous nearly takes her head off. Shit.

_ I thought you said you were willing to do whatever you had to, _ the Son says, relaxed.  _ Apparently I was wrong. Disappointing, I'd thought you'd care more for your men than that. _

_ I- _ Ahsoka stops, swallowing, and one of  Grievous’ sabers burns a thin line down the outside of her arm.  _ Force, _ she can't _ focus. I can't use the Dark Side, _ she tries, but really - if she was holding to that, she wouldn't have made a deal with an ancient entity that is literally the _ personification _ of the Dark Side.

So. Shit. Kriffing _ hells, _ what does she do?

Grievous backs her up into a clump of her men, and she thinks Rex is among them, but she can't spare the second to look and see, because Grievous has all four of his sabers pressing down on her two, closer and closer to her face, and she clenches her jaw and struggles to hold on.

_ Perhaps I should stop offering my advice. _

No, wait, he can't!  _ No, wait, I need your help, _ she says, fast, straining, feels his interest pique.  _ I can't do this, but- I need to defeat him. But I can't use the Dark Side. _

_ Of course I will help you, _ the Son says, smug, and then Grievous’ arms pull back, sending her staggering forward at the loss of pressure, and something heavy and metal slams into the side of her head and she falls.

And everything is dark and ice-cold.

~~~

She falls  _ (not dead, not dead) _ and suddenly it’s just them, Rex and two squads and General Grievous and four spinning sabers, and Grievous laughs, of course he does, and it’s going to happen again.

It’s going to happen again, he’s going to kill Rex’s  _ vode  _ and there’s not going to be a damn thing Rex can do about it, although of course he’ll try but he’s not a Jedi, he doesn’t have sabers or the Force or even beskar, just gods-damned blasters and plastoid. They all pull back in a wide circle and Kix isn’t here, he’s with another of the invading squads, so his saber isn’t here either. Rex automatically grabs Ahsoka’s body to get her out of the way, hands under her arms, only then she drops both her sabers from limp hands and they roll away on the ground.

He can’t leave her lightsabers, and he knows, suddenly, that he also can’t just leave them useless on her belt. Grievous advances on them with his heavy, lifting steps, laughing still, swipes two of his sabers at Fives _ ,  _ who barely staggers back, firing with his twin blasters, and Rex curls his hand around the green saber Ahsoka’s been training him with for a month or so now.

He’s not good enough at this, not at all, but it’s this or  _ nothing, _ no chance. At least this way  _ he’d  _ be the target instead of his  _ vode. _

So.

He tightens his hand, thumbs the green blade on, and straightens, finds the solid footing the form needs, and then sweeps the saber back and forth so the hum it makes is loud,  _ come and get me, _ and Grievous turns with a jerky movement like a bug that someone’s stepped on, his four sabers freezing still for a second.

This, Rex thinks, is the  _ worst  _ idea he’s ever had. But he also doesn’t have a better one.

“What do you think you’re doing?” the droid general rasps, sounding half amused, half outraged. Rex breathes, careful, clings to the readiness in his gut, all his training, his desperation.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he points out, and Grievous laughs, coughs, and deflects three blaster bolts out of the air, his sabers whirling into action again.

Rex has no  _ karking  _ idea how to fight four lightsabers at once, sure as  _ hell  _ doesn’t know how to do it and not get killed, so when Grievous charges him he does the sensible thing and just gets out of the way, lunges to the side, keeping his saber between him and the general. Metal grinds on stone, and Grievous attacks again; his reach is too long and with the  _ four sabers- _ Rex jumps back out of the way of two of them with a curse, automatically catches them on his saber and there’s a sound of tearing, heavy pressure against his blade, and a bright light where the sabers press against each other.

He’s not strong enough to hold this long, and he knows Grievous knows and that’s the point, so he disengages his saber and ducks under the two, towards the droid- but he’s forgotten the other two blades, and they nearly take off his legs at the knees except he throws himself out of the way, back and to the side, barely turning the lunge into a bruising roll that brings him back up to his knees a short distance away.

Not far enough away.

A saber scores into the ground by his leg (Grievous is careless with his movements, and why shouldn’t he be, they don’t all have to count), the others arc down toward Rex’s head, and he swears, blocks them long enough to get himself out from under them; he can’t wear himself out in a contest of strength. He doesn’t have that to his advantage here - or anything else, for that matter, except for his men, and they’re busy fending off Grievous’s forces.

He retreats, gives himself as much space as he can get, grateful (partly) that Grievous’s focus is single minded - the general isn’t interested in his brothers, at the moment, which is the important thing. Grievous laughs again, coughs again, rheumy yellow eyes narrowing, and starts spinning his lightsabers as he advances. They’re blinding circles of light and Rex knows it’s just a tactic to scare and confuse - an effective one, at that. But he just pulls back, holding his saber up, like Ahsoka’s showed him, watching, careful, don’t focus too long on one thing or they’ll have you, just wait-

And he catches the shift in movement and stance just before the sabers resolve into distinct blades again, strikes out with his saber in the moment before Grievous moves to strike, in the moment when he thinks Rex is still retreating, and carves a molten line in the metal of Grievous’s chest.

Grievous’s cough is not a laugh, this time - it’s a snarl, and before Rex can retreat the droid kicks him in the stomach, throwing him to the ground and driving the air out of him even through his armor. He has the sense to hold onto his saber, to shove an elbow under him and try to get back up, but the general slams a clawed foot onto his chest, the metal screeching against his cuirass, and Rex can’t get a full breath under the weight of him. Grievous slices down toward his right arm, and Rex jerks his arm in close to him, without even thinking about it stabs his saber into Grievous’s leg above him. The droid snarls again, staggers back and  _ off  _ of him, thank the gods.

Rex gets up. Settles back into a stance, raises his saber, tries not to heave for breath but can’t help it. His arms are shaking too much.

This was definitely a terrible idea.

Better than the alternative, at least.

Grievous twirls his lightsabers, slow, and Rex stares at him through his HUD, waiting. Ahsoka’s still down, behind him. There are commandos and magnaguards, here - not a threat to him, his  _ vode  _ are dealing with them. He can’t find Kix in the fighting across the caverns, is sure his  _ vod  _ is doing his best to help them all, but probably can’t get to Rex himself.

Cody is coming, Rex knows he was commed once the fighting began here, so maybe he can hold out till then. Maybe not.

“You are beginning to be a  _ nuisance,  _ clone,” General Grievous rasps, vicious, and Rex smiles, twisted.

“Only beginning?” he asks, hoarsely, tightening his grip on the green saber. “I guess I’m gonna have to try harder.”

Grievous laughs, and comes after him again.

Rex tries, he does, and he knows it’s not a bad effort. Here, he holds Grievous’s blades away from him and twists neatly away and back into his stance; here, he dives under two strikes and retreats from two more; here, he keeps his distance, circling, careful.

But it’s not good  _ enough. _ Because here also his chest burns, and a saber drives through his armor, sears his leg above his knee, and he stumbles and nearly gets sliced in half, and his grip on his saber isn’t good enough, and Grievous is a nexu playing with its prey, has been this entire time except now he’s nearing the kill and his movements get sharper, nearer, more dangerous. Rex goes back on the defensive, back to retreating, until Grievous has him backed up nearly on top of Ahsoka and against his men.

This time, when he catches all four blades on his saber, he can’t twist away, or pull back, or run. Grievous is too close and too strong, forcing his lightsabers back, and Rex strains against him, arms trembling. His leg burns and it’s still not easy to breath and the heat and light is getting too close, too close and these sabers belong to Jedi who Grievous has killed and Rex isn’t even close to their equal, and Grievous is going to take Ahsoka’s sabers and kill her and he can’t stop it.

Grievous forces Rex’s own saber down so close to his helmet that the HUD begins to short out, blackening and fuzzing, and Rex can feel the heat of it, thinks the plastoid of his helmet is beginning to melt and he panics, swearing, trying to keep his weakening arms from giving out by sheer force of will.

For a moment, he thinks it’s him that does it. The pressure is suddenly gone as Grievous is jerked away from him as if yanked by an invisible chain, crashing to the ground too far away, his sabers turning off, and Rex pants, shakes his head, shakes himself a little.

It’s Ahsoka, she’s up and alright, they can do this now. He turns, smiles, and  _ stops. _

It is not Ahsoka. It’s her arms outstretched, and her face twisted in a snarl, and her body that turns towards him all fluid and easy and unhurt, but the eyes… They are  _ not  _ her, they’re yellow and bright and laughing and cruel, and the tracery of charcoal lines over her skin is not her, and the way she tilts her head and says, “I’m going to need her lightsaber back,” is all  _ wrong, wrong, wrong. _

Rex tightens his grip on the saber and takes a step back, casting around for something to do.

“Please don’t be difficult,” and there’s a pull on the saber in his hand, sharp, insistent, but he won’t let go. Can’t. She can’t have it back, because it isn’t her, it’s not- it’s-

He  _ promised  _ he was gone, he thought- the Son was supposed to be  _ dead. _

The pull changes to pressure against his fingers, forcing his grip open too fast,  _ damn it, no,  _ and the saber flies out of his hand and into hers. Ahsoka- the Son, whatever it is, unclips the shoto saber from her belt, ignites both weapons.

“Thank you,” she hums with her voice, but  _ his  _ velvety amusement, and Rex chokes, and she turns and launches herself at the droid General struggling to his feet some six meters away.

Rex gives up on his helmet, yanks it off his head and rubs his face, feeling like he’s going to be sick. The men around him pull in close; he thinks they all saw and can at least tell something’s not right.

“Sithspit,” Fives says, eloquently. “What the kriff, sir?”

Rex shakes his head, looks around quickly. The Son is a bigger problem than any of this, and one that  _ none  _ of them are qualified to deal with. Hells, most of them won’t even understand what’s going on. But he can hear, he thinks, transport engines, and they still have a whole army to contend with, and Grievous - or maybe not Grievous, exactly, because unlike Rex had feared, the Son hasn’t joined with the general. Instead, the two of them are circling each other, and Rex can’t help but think of a dire-cat again: the way Ahsoka’s feet are light, careful, prowling, how the Son looks over Grievous, appraising, measuring.

He can karking  _ feel  _ the wrongness, here. But they still need to win this battle, and then… then, gods, he doesn’t know what then.

“Protect the General,” he says, shaking his head again. He can see the transports, now, almost close enough that they’ll have their reinforcements. “Keep the droids off them, let her finish Grievous.”

“What’s going  _ on, _ Rex?” Jesse spits.

Rex draws his blasters, rubbing his face with the back of one hand. “Just kriffing do what I tell you, Captain.”

“Yes, sir.”

Rex can tell Jesse isn’t satisfied with that, but it doesn’t matter. If they can survive this, then he’ll explain. Later. Now they just have to win and try to get Ahsoka back and-  _ Gods,  _ he has no idea.

So his squads work their way towards the duel playing itself out in the middle of the cave; mostly there aren’t droids in the way, but none of them want to get in close.

The duel is tremendously one-sided. It looks like when Ahsoka teaches Rex himself something, with the almost-patience of the Son’s movements, the unsettling half-smile that is and is not Ahsoka’s. The difference is the predator’s look and the sharp cruelty in the strikes that hit home. Rex doesn’t know if Grievous understands what he’s fighting or not, but he knows there’s no question about who’s going to win.

Under any other circumstances, this would be a good day.

The 212th floods the cavern like waves breaking on Kamino, and that at least is a relief. There’s no retreating, at this point, for Grievous and the CIS leaders - that makes this a victory. Ahsoka’s plan worked.

It doesn’t really matter.

The Son gets that look in his eyes (because whatever else, those yellow, wild eyes are not Ahsoka’s) that Ahsoka does when she’s done playing, the sharpness and the amusement turning deadly.

A hand tightens around a saber, and one of Grievous’s legs crumples, twisted into a ball of metal, and there’s something almost like a scream from the general. The Son leans forward, turns off both of Ahsoka’s sabers and clips them back to her belt. Rex, who had been standing with Fives and shooting approaching commando droids, gives up the exercise because once there’s no more Grievous, he doesn’t know what the Son’s going to do next.

“I believe we’re  _ finished  _ here,” the Son hums, thoughtfully, and he waves Ahsoka’s hand, yanking Grievous’s limbs off his torso and crumpling them, tossing them away along with his sabers. “Pity.” He rubs fingers together, thoughtful, then reaches out, curls those same fingers into a claw, casual.

The lightning is red, but no less blinding than the Sith’s lightning from the barracks, and when it arcs from Ahsoka’s hands to the droid general on the ground it turns everything scarlet, Ahsoka’s markings and Grievous himself and the yellow, yellow eyes.

Grievous is almost screaming again and Rex finds himself almost wishing the Son wouldn’t kill him. It’s not right when he’s using Ahsoka like this.

But then it’s over, and Rex looks quickly around again, sees that his  _ vode  _ have nearly secured the cavern. He looks back at Ahsoka, who’s not illuminated by lightning anymore.

Last time, he was too slow. Last time, she helped the Son and then she died.

So he switches one blaster to stun and fires twice while Ahsoka is still standing over Grievous.

Thank the little gods, it actually works and she falls in a heap on the ground. He hears his  _ vode  _ making noises of shock, but he ignores them. “I need cuffs!” he snaps, holstering one blaster and striding over to Ahsoka, shooting Grievous a few times in the chest and faceplate for good measure. “Now!”

There’s more murmuring, but then Echo comes over to him (limping a little) and hands him a set of cuffs - the Force-inhibiting sort. Rex takes them, snaps them around Ahsoka’s wrists and rolls her onto her side.

“Sir, we need answers,” Echo says.

“Most of them wouldn’t make sense.” Rex is shaking. He doesn’t mean to be. “That mission we went on, though, when Ahsoka broke her leg, this is… part of that.” He touches the charcoal lines on Ahsoka’s arms, so light. “She’s not herself, Echo.”

His  _ vod  _ swallows, nods once, and Rex gets on comms to tell Cody. They have to… have to get Ahsoka offworld, he thinks, have to try to get her back to General Skywalker if they can. He’ll know what to do, he’s the only one besides the Father or the Daughter that was able to do  _ anything,  _ so if anyone can get Ahsoka back, it’s him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk what to say in the notes anymore, lol
> 
> Please comment?

Cody is working his way carefully down one of the myriad of tunnels, clearing it of droids, when Rex comms him, rushes out a stumbling explanation that Grievous is dead, that General Tano has been _ possessed, _ and that Rex needs Cody _ now. _

Cody waves at his men to continue their pattern, takes off ahead of them down a side tunnel that some helpful native points out and says it connects with level ten, apparently; it still takes exactly _ too long _ to make it down to where Rex and the 501st are.  _ Gods, _ Cody cannot keep _ doing this, _ being the last one here when his  _ ori'vod _ and his _ cyare _ are in danger. They, both of them, wear his armor, and that-

He should be better, at keeping that promise.

General Tano is on the ground, unconscious, hands cuffed behind her back, with Rex and a few other _ vode _ standing guard over her. “We need to get her to General Skywalker,” Rex says, and Cody nods, frowning.

There is something wrong about her, but he cannot tell what it is.

“We should take Ahsoka's shuttle, to contain her better,” his _ ori'vod _ adds, and Cody nods again.

“Get together whoever you want to take with us,” he says, simple, and turns to snap orders at the nearest  _ vod, _ to cuff and guard the captured CIS officers, to finish clearing the sinkhole of clankers, sets up a watch rotation and other logistics, meets up with Rex at the edge of the sinkhole. He's talking into his wristcomm, probably having the shuttle flown down, and Cody studies the small squad curiously - Kix, Fives, Echo, Jesse, Tup, Dogma, and, surprisingly,  _ Brii. _ The kid is fidgeting with his gauntlets, but when Cody looks at him, his _ vod'ika _ lifts his chin defensively and says, “I'm  _ coming, _ sir.”

“Of course you are,” Cody says mildly. They all want to protect their Jedi, and who is Cody to say a _ vod _ can't come? This is personal, this is about _ protection, _ about how they somehow failed their General - he thinks the whole battalion, or what's left of it, wants to come.

But better to only risk nine than nine hundred, as the saying goes.

The shuttle hovers in midair next to them, the ramp lowering, and Rex lifts Ahsoka into his arms and jumps the short gap between the edge of the stone and the ship itself, his small squad following. Cody himself is the last one, and he follows Rex to a small side room, where his _ ori'vod _ deposits Ahsoka onto the floor, gently. “I have to comm General Skywalker,” he says, and Cody nods.

“What's wrong with her, Rex?” he asks, low, and Rex hesitates.

“Do you remember what I told you about Mortis?”

Cody does not think he will ever _ forget. _ He nods, once, steely and contained, does not swear like he wants to - if that  _ karking _ planet is involved, it's _ bad. _

“I mentioned Ahsoka was possessed by the Son at one point,” Rex continues, and Cody nods again, just enough motion. “Apparently- I thought he was dead, but he's back.”

_ Gods. _

This is worse than they all thought.

They _ need _ General Skywalker.

~~~

Rex stays close to Cody when he tunes his wristcomm to Anakin’s frequency, says, “Sir? General. It’s Commander Rex.”

_ “Rex?”  _ Anakin sounds exhausted.  _ “What do you need?” _

“Sir, Ahsoka’s- the Son came back, sir. He came back and he has Ahsoka. She killed Grievous, I don’t- I don’t know how this happened. We have her cuffed, but he’s… I don’t know what to do, sir, I’m bringing her back because I thought you could help.”

_ “What?” _ Anakin shouts so loud the comm shrieks a little.  _ “What the Force-forsaken-” _ He stops, choked, then snarls,  _ “Get back here  _ **_now,_ ** _ Rex.” _

“I'm trying,” Rex promises, tense, shuts off the comm and looks at Cody. He should explain this all to the men that are here, should make a plan for if Ahsoka gets loose. He picked them to come with him because he can trust them - and of course Brii picked himself - and he owes them an explanation.

He brings Cody with him, reluctantly, leaves the little room and closes the door, coming face to face with the seven other members of his squad, who are fidgeting and anxious and upset.

“What's going  _ on?” _ Fives demands, and Rex does his best to explain about the Son, about him taking Ahsoka and the way he somehow controlled her and how he's  _ back  _ when he should be dead, gone.

_ “Sithspit,” _ Fives repeats, when his finished. They're all frozen, and furious, Rex thinks. “But you really think General Skywalker can help?”

Rex remembers his General with a voice like thunder dragging he and Ahsoka and Obi-Wan free from the Son and the Daughter, and he nods. “I do.”

“Okay.  _ Hells, _ okay.”

Rex turns to go back into the side room to watch Ahsoka, and his brothers come too, all of them. They walk in to the yellow, yellow eyes and a shark smile that bares canines that have never looked so dangerous before.

Rex supposes it was too much to hope that the stun blast would shake the Son's hold on her, and too much also to hope that a stun blast would last long.

“Well, well. All her favorite pets in one place.” The Son takes a couple steps towards them, and without needing to be asked Echo and Fives stride forward and grab Ahsoka's arms, tight. Rex draws his blaster to stun her again, except Kix catches him, shakes his head minutely.

“If we keep stunning her, whatever it does or doesn't do to the Son it'll start to hurt  _ her.” _

“Do you have a better idea?” Rex asks.

“If we can hold him without stunning her, I think that would be better,” Kix says.

Rex frowns, shakes his head, but holsters his blasters and wipes his face blank. It's only that if the Son is allowed to talk, he will, and it will hurt.

“Everyone back out except Fives and Echo. We're going to rotate the guard,” he says, doing his best to ignore the Son. Ideally, he'd have put him in a cell somewhere, but this ship doesn't have one and he wasn't risking the Son on a cruiser.

“That's a good idea,” the Son chuckles, high and mocking, and Rex looks impassively over at him, settling his arms behind his back, under control, neat and calm. “Don't keep all your valuables in one place, someone might take them.”

“You'll keep your mouth  _ shut,”  _ Rex growls, tightly.

But of course the Son smiles and tilts Ahsoka's head and purrs, “Or what? Why don't you  _ make me,  _ Captain?”

Rex grits his teeth, glances at Echo, who looks like he wants to fight, and Fives, whose hand is too tight on Ahsoka's arm. He'll leave bruises.

_ “Vod,”  _ he says, keeping to Mando'a although he doesn't know if the Son understands Mando'a or not. He imagines he does.  _ “You're holding her too tight.” _

_ “Sorry, it's hard not to,” _ Fives answers, and his grip eases a little.

“Yes, let's not break her,” the Son agrees, and Fives swears. “I think we can all agree we don't want that.”

“I told you to be quiet,” Rex says, smooth, cold. It's not going to work but he tries, anyway.

“And you failed to convince me,” the Son hums, straining a little at the cuffs. “You know these won't hold me long.”

“Funny, I thought of that,” Rex says flatly.

The Son just laughs and stands still except for that quiet pulling against the handcuffs. It's almost more unnerving than if he was talking.

The four of them have the sense to be still and silent and emotionless, to say nothing. All they can do is get Ahsoka safely back to Anakin, and the best way they can do that is not rile up the Son and keep him contained.

Still, that's not enough to keep him quiet. “You poor things. So much fear. And anger. Perhaps it would make you feel better to know she is afraid too.”

Rex glances at the Son, forcing himself so, so still and unfazed, like a frozen lake, and sees he is looking at him.

“She doesn't want me to hurt you. I could, though.” The Son yanks on the cuffs and Echo and Fives both grow tense. “I will. When I'm used to this new body - right now she's being troublesome.”

Rex tightens his hands on his blasters. Kix said to try to avoid stunning her, but  _ gods,  _ he can't listen to this. Ahsoka is  _ not  _ the Son's, and his words in her voice are making him nauseous.

The Son hums a little, going still. “Why are you all so angry?” he says, as if immensely enjoying himself, mock-innocent. “She can’t get all of your  _ brothers _ killed anymore, when she's like this - I can protect you. I  _ promised  _ her.” There’s a laugh behind the words that is not Ahsoka’s laugh, that is a dark-black chuckle and shining red eyes. “That’s why she let me in, you know. For  _ you.” _

“She didn’t  _ let you in,” _ Fives hisses, echoing Rex’s thought, his face briefly contorting in a dangerous scowl.

The Son’s response is fast and smooth as a striking snake, amused. “Oh, but she  _ did,”  _ he purrs, leaning close to Fives, who flinches. “Who do you think came up with the plan to attack today? Certainly not your child general. She understood what you apparently cannot. You all  _ need me.” _

“Enough,” Rex growls, curling a hand around his blaster. He’s done listening to this. Ahsoka wouldn’t let the Son anywhere near her on purpose.

Would she?

She’d looked so anxious before the battle, more than the usual, had seemed distracted and uncertain. And he’d thought that was because of Mandalore, but maybe there was more to it- but no. She wouldn’t.

And even if she  _ would,  _ that’s not the point right now.

The Son turns Ahsoka’s head and the gleaming yellow eyes to look straight at Rex, smiling a little. “Come now, Captain. What are you going to do? We’ve been over this. You can’t protect her, and she knows it. She thinks you’ll leave her again. Wouldn’t it be better to let me have her, since you have been so careless with her?”

“She’s not yours,” Rex says, deadly calm.

“Do you think she’s  _ yours?”  _ The Son laughs, and Rex keeps focused on the eyes that are not Ahsoka’s, because then it doesn’t hurt so much, then he doesn’t have to see the mocking smile that looks so much like hers. “You misunderstand. She is  _ mine.  _ She’s always been  _ mine.  _ Whatever she thinks.”

Rex draws his blaster, tight-lipped, and stuns Ahsoka again. She sags in Fives’ and Echo’s hands, and he holsters his blaster again. “You two go out and watch the door, send Jesse and Kix in here.” His  _ vode  _ need a break.

Cody sets a steadying hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to stay in here the whole time.”

“I know.”

“We can gag her if she wakes up again.”

“Maybe we’d better.” Rex doesn’t have the patience to listen to that again.

Ahsoka is  _ not the Son’s. _ Ahsoka doesn’t karking belong to anyone, least of all him. And this is Rex trying to protect her as best he can.

~~~

Everything's gone so _ wrong. _

Kix stands with Jesse in the small room that's become his General's cell, watching with his hand on his saber, waiting for the first sign that she's waking up.

He's worried about his Commander.

Rex is stony and silent, staring at Ahsoka's face, but Kix can feel horror and sickness and exhaustion and pain, and it's… it's not good.

Kix thinks Rex should take a break.

When the Son wakes again, his cruel, laughing gold eyes so _ wrong _ in the General's face, he doesn't say much, just _ smiles, _ and Kix thinks they won't be able to hold him for long.

This, this  _ creature, _ feels like the whole weight of the Dark Side, crackling against his skin, sparking and hot and _ icy, _ and Kix cannot even _ feel _ General Tano in the midst of all that - her Force signature is just _ gone, _ eclipsed by all that _ hatred. _

It's terrifying.

“Have you reconsidered my offer?” the Son asks Rex, lightly, pulls against the cuffs again, like he's testing them. “To keep her safe from you?”

Rex doesn't say anything, which is smart, just looks over at Cody, silent. Kix tightens his grip on his saber.

This is not good.

“Ahh, well, don't worry, Captain,” the Son says, laughing. “You'll come to see the wisdom in time.”

Kix doesn't like the almost- _ threat _ layered under those words.

He doesn't trust the silence that follows, the way the only sound is the Son occasionally testing his cuffs, a rattling counterpoint to Kix's rushing heartbeat.  _ Little gods, _ he's terrified. This is _ so far _ beyond any of them.

The silence stretches on, heavy and liquid and _ ominous. _

And then it is shattered, so so easily.

By a _ click. _

And the Son _ stretches, _ lifts his arms -  _ Ahsoka's arms _ \- above his head,  _ smiles. _ “Would you look at that,” he says. “I'm free.”

Kix shifts in front of him, pulls his saber, the blade humming a vivid blue, says, “Stay where you are,” growls it, almost.

“Mmm, I don't think so,” and the Son _ smirks, _ shark-sharp and too _ wrong, _ and he passes Ahsoka's hand through the air and Kix's saber _ shuts off. _

“What the _ karking hells,” _ says Jesse, and Kix stares at the unlit saber in his hands.

_ Gods. _

“Back off,” Rex snaps,  _ fast, _ and Kix shakes his head, but takes a couple quick steps back anyways. He has a sedative in his belt pouch, if he can just-

Cody and Rex both fire blue-glowing stun pulses, and the Son _ laughs, _ mocking, flicks his fingers and the pulses dissipate like- Kix doesn't even _ know. _ He can't just- “An admirable effort, Captain, but you really shouldn't have done that.” He twists his wrist (Ahsoka's wrist, not _ his)  _ and laughs again, still, and there's _ red, _ blinding, and Kix reacts instinctively, ignites his saber blade again and strains to catch the lightning on it, grits his teeth and holds his position, can feel his arms trembling and feet slipping. The Son is so _ effortless _ and Kix _ chokes, _ reaches desperately for the Force, is too slow - his arms give out for just a second and the lightning pulses sharp and cutting across his body and he staggers, bites his lip to keep from screaming and tightens his hands around his saber hilt, grounding.

_ Little gods, _ it _ hurts. _

The lightning stops as suddenly as it had begun, the Son grumbling to himself. “Oh, she didn't _ like _ that,” he says, low and annoyed. “I'm impressed - she really expected me to keep my _ promise.” _ He chuckles, and Kix tries to move, but his muscles are limp and nonresponsive,  _ hells. _

Rex tries to step between Kix and the Son, and Kix twitches his fingers just a little - he needs to be close. Within touching distance. Then it's a moot point anyway because the Son steps _ over _ Kix, laughing, laughing, laughing, says, almost _ purring _ it,  _ “Now _ she's afraid. But don't worry, I promised her I'd keep you alive, and _ safe,” _ and Kix somehow manages to shift so he can get a sedative out of his medpac, instinctively fumbling it to the right dosage, keeping all his movements low and quiet. “I didn't say I wouldn't  _ hurt _ you, but that's what she assumed, poor little Jedi. What a foolish child.” He  _ tsks _ lightly, and Kix swallows.

He's only got one shot at this.

_ Please help, _ he begs the Force, silently, pushes himself up on his knees a little, choking, and then waves his hand and _ yanks _ the Son down to the ground, pins Ahsoka's small body down with his weight, sees _ surprise _ in those yellow eyes for the half-second it takes Kix to jam the needle into Ahsoka's elbow and depress the plunger.

Surprise turns to _ rage, _ and Kix is flung away into the wall, and then the Son’s eyes go dark.

_ Gods, _ he hurts. He doesn't think he can _ move. _

~~~

Rex goes straight to Kix, tugs his brother onto his knees and presses his first two fingers to the medic’s neck. His pulse is too fast and irregular, even Rex knows that. “Where’s it hurt,  _ vod?” _

“Karking everywhere,” Kix rasps, closing his eyes tight. Cody is putting the cuffs back on Ahsoka, although what’s even the  _ point?  _ Rex swallows, struggling to compose himself for a moment, and then he slides an arm under Kix’s shoulders, carefully getting to his feet and pulling Kix with him; his  _ vod  _ stifles a groan and shakes his head.

“I’m taking you out of here,” Rex says firmly.

“You need to keep her sedated,” Kix says, and Rex sighs and nods.

“Fine.  _ I’ll  _ deal with that, you’re gonna karking rest.” He leaves the room with Kix, doesn’t even blink at his three  _ vode  _ outside the room pointing blasters at them as soon as they walk out. They all step back, when they see it’s Rex, but Dogma swears very quietly and his hand tightens on his blaster. “Brii,” Rex says, shortly, “keep an eye on Kix, make him take some pain meds. Dogma, you’re going in to replace him on guard.”

“And Tup, you’re replacing Rex.”

Rex twists, sees Cody standing tense at the door. “No, he’s not,” Rex snaps.

“It’s not a discussion. Just stay out here with Kix for a bit.”

“I need to keep Ahsoka sedated.”

“So I’ll manage that for a bit.” Cody walks over, holds his hand out to Kix, palm up. “You got more of that sedative on you?”

Kix sighs. “No. My medkit, though.”

“I know where that is,” Brii volunteers, hurrying over to one of the compartments in the ship, and Rex shakes his head, helping Kix over to a seat and easing him down.

“I should be in there-” Kix starts, and Rex cuts him off, tiredly.

“No. We’ll manage. You’re in no condition,  _ you  _ of all people should know.”

Brii’s brought the medkit to Cody, and Rex walks over to get out pain meds for Kix.

“I mean it. About you staying out of there for a while,” Cody says, not looking up from his rummaging through the box of supplies.

“I can’t,” Rex answers.

“Karking listen to me for once.” Cody doesn’t raise his voice, or scowl, or otherwise betray what he’s thinking. Right now, Rex can really only guess.

He can’t just sit out here while  _ his ‘Soka  _ is in there, alone and terrified in some back corner of her mind, can’t leave just his brothers with the  _ Son. _ He won’t. She needs him, and he needs to know what’s going on, so he just- he won’t.

But he looks at Cody and he finds he can’t say that. He apparently doesn’t have to; Cody sighs, glancing up and palming a syringe and a small bottle of, presumably, the sedative.  _ “Ori’vod,  _ please, just for a while.”

Rex shakes his head, but says, “Fine,” and gestures for Tup to do as Cody said and go into the makeshift cell after Dogma. Cody touches his shoulder with his free hand, then follows Tup, and Rex grits his teeth and goes to sit down by Kix. He gives him pain meds and a canteen, makes sure Kix gets the medicine down along with some extra swallows of water, and then props his elbows on his knees and buries his face in suddenly-shaking hands.

“Sir, what  _ happened  _ in there?” Brii asks, anxiously.

“He got loose. Electrocuted Kix.” Rex doesn’t even know what the Son would have done to the rest of them, if he could have.

There’s a reason he told Oddball to self-destruct the ship rather than let the Son get control of it. And there’s also a reason he had Oddball deadlock seal the door to the cockpit, as little good as that might end up doing them.

“But you fixed it, right?”

Rex snorts, humorless, shakes his head just a little. “Yeah, you could call it that.”

“It’s gonna be okay,” Brii says, fiercely, like someone’ll have to answer to him if it’s  _ not  _ okay.

Rex has nothing to say to that. Because last time, last time, the Son  _ killed  _ Ahsoka when he was done with her, and this time there’s no Daughter to bring her back. Just them. That’s not enough.

Rex is so afraid they won’t be able to make the Son let her go.

He sits there for a while with Brii actually  _ pacing  _ and Kix having gone mostly unresponsive and Echo twisting his hands together and Fives sitting against the wall of the ship, glaring at nothing in particular, and partly it is good, not being in the room with Ahsoka and having to see and  _ feel  _ the not-rightness, but he can’t stand it very long. He doesn’t know how long he sits, but it can’t be more than half an hour before he gets up and goes back, wordlessly orders Jesse out. He takes Ahsoka’s arm instead, ignores the small, concerned sigh from Cody.

She still hasn’t woken up, apparently, which is good. It would probably be better, still, if they didn’t have to sedate her too often, although it can’t be helped either way, now. They can’t let the Son get out again.

Rex rubs his face with one hand, glances over at Dogma, who’s staring at the floor like he expects it to crumble beneath his feet. “General Skywalker can fix this,  _ vod,”  _ he says quietly.

Dogma just nods.

“It’ll be fine,” Rex adds, not sure if he’s talking to Dogma or himself or Ahsoka. They have to work this out. So long as they can get her back… “We'll help you.”

It occurs to him that this must explain how the Council found out about Mortis, and probably Tatooine, if the Son has really been in Ahsoka’s head for a while, like he says. That, at  _ least,  _ is something of a relief, that maybe none of them have to have been lying.

~~~

Brii doesn't know what's going _ on, _ anymore.

General Tano has been being kept sedated for the last couple hours, as they fly back towards Coruscant as fast as this shuttle will take them. Captain-  _ Commander _ Rex hasn't left her room-cell-thing since Commandeer Cody forced him out for half an hour or so earlier. Everybody else except Kix has been rotating in and out on guard duty, but every time Brii tries to take someone's place, Rex doesn't _ let him. _ He's not sure _ why _ \- sure, he's not as good or useful as the others, but he can still _ help. _

Kix is still half-slumped over in his chair, eyes closed (Brii doesn't think the medic's  _ asleep, _ though), like he has been ever since he got-  _ electrocuted. _

Like the General herself was, maybe, when the Sith went after Naas.

They're almost to Coruscant, now, and when Brii listens at the door (shamelessly, because they won't let him in but he wants to know what's going on) he hears Rex and Commander Cody talking about her needing to be conscious, so they aren't gonna sedate her anymore.

Brii thinks that's karking  _ di'kutla. _ The _ last time _ she was awake, the whatever-Sith-Lord-asshole  _ thing _ in her head had somehow gotten out of _ Force-blocked cuffs _ and _ attacked them, _ and they think they're going to be able to control him again? Kix can barely _ stand, _ he's in that much pain, what are they gonna do?

Even _ if _ the Commander somehow is good enough with a lightsaber to _ fight Grievous _ (little gods, he's _ such a badass, _ Brii can't even _ believe _ it sometimes).

But all that aside, Brii finds himself pacing again, as they get within half an hour of Coruscant. He's _ nervous, _ worried about his General, and his _ other General, _ because General Skywalker is going to be so angry and probably mostly at _ himself _ for not being there (Brii has seen General Skywalker like that a lot), worried about his _ vode. _ Whatever  _ the Son _ is, exactly, he's bad enough that Oddball is supposed to self-destruct the ship before he lets the Son take it over, and Rex and the others are just _ in there with him. _

And, alright, so maybe Brii is _ a little _ worried about himself, too, and the possibility of death by creepy Sith asshole or universe-saving explosion - but really, as far as ways to die go, those are better than being killed by a kriffing _ battle droid. _

Oddball goes on the ship's internal comms to warn everyone they're dropping out of hyperspace, and Brii goes over to Kix and nudges his shoulder. “Hey,  _ vod, _ are you gonna be okay?”

“Yeah, Brii,” Kix rasps, opening his eyes and sort of sitting up. “I'm feeling a lot better now.”

That's a _ kriffing lie. _

But Brii doesn't really push it, because right _ now _ at least there's bigger things to worry about. So he just nods, and helps Kix organise his medkit, and watches the door anxiously.

He hopes General Skywalker can _ fix this. _

And General Skywalker can do _ anything, _ but somehow- this just seems so much _ worse, _ and Brii is very, very afraid of what might happen if the Jedi can't fix this.

~~~

Rex hadn't thought he could be more terrified than he was the whole flight, until the ship docks in the hangar on Coruscant and the Son  _ chuckles. _ “I have wanted to see my friend the Chosen One again,” he purrs.

Rex grunts a bit, gestures for Cody to come take Ahsoka's other arm. “I don't think he'll be as happy to see you,” he growls.

“Perhaps not,” the Son says, self-assured.

Rex's  _ vode _ form a tight guard around them as they leave the shuttle, finding the hangar almost entirely empty, Anakin standing there waiting for them with four Temple guards behind him. Anakin’s face has always been an open book, and this is no exception; he’s ashen, looks like he could be sick any second, but underneath that is the kind of anger that Rex has learned to be a little afraid of, the kind that’s  _ dangerous. _

But the Son… the Son, he thinks, is not afraid of that anger. Whether he should be or not, Rex isn’t sure, and that’s worse.

When they get closer, the Son smiles, so wide, and Rex tightens his hand on Ahsoka’s arm as he says, “Chosen One. I’ve missed you.”

“You shouldn’t be trying to play this game with me right now,” Anakin snarls, low, his eyes dark.

“Oh, I’m not playing,” the Son answers, smooth. “Ask your men, you’ll find I take this very seriously.” He glances meaningfully back at Kix, who’s still being supported by Jesse, face taut with pain.

“What did he  _ do,”  _ Anakin growls, to Rex, hands clenching into fists.

“He got loose, electrocuted Kix and threw him into the wall,” Rex says, tightly. But he does think this is a game to the Son, an elaborate, twisted game with real consequences.

The Son just chuckles again.

Anakin swears in Huttese, gritting his teeth hard, and steps forward. “I killed you once already, and I’ll be happy to do it again, unless you get  _ out of her right now.” _

“You didn’t manage it the first time, Chosen One,” the Son sighs. “Let’s not lie to ourselves. You can’t kill me, not without killing  _ her,  _ too.” It’s a lie, Rex thinks, but he’s not really sure  _ what  _ the Son can do.

“Do you want to test that?” Anakin asks, smooth and calm and quiet.

Fives makes a small noise of protest, and the Son  _ smirks.  _ “I suppose,” he sighs, shifting a bit. Cody glances over at Rex, like he wants to make sure he’s alright, but Rex just shakes his head and keeps an eye on his General. “I had planned on telling you who told the Council about our little partnership, but if you’d rather this get  _ unpleasant…” _

Anakin goes very, very still. “You know?” he asks.

“Oh, yes,” the Son says, lightly. “It was my fault, I got a bit chatty. Someone’s very interested in you. Don’t worry, it wasn’t her,” he adds, shrugging Ahsoka’s shoulders demonstratively. “So loyal, this one.”

Rex finds that Fives was right, it’s hard not to grip Ahsoka’s arm too tight because there’s nothing else he can do to contain the Son. He just wants him to  _ stop,  _ wants him out, but like Anakin, he needs to know how, how anybody  _ knew,  _ who told the Council? Still, he keeps double-checking Ahsoka’s cuffs.

“So who  _ was  _ it?” Anakin asks, impatient, sharp.

“Oh, come now, I don’t give out things like this for free.” The Son smiles, lazy, and shakes Ahsoka’s head. “You think I’d just  _ name _ the person you’ve been hunting for so long? After all, he and I had an agreement too.”

Anakin’s eyes flash, and he says, heavy, “You  _ will  _ tell me,” his voice resonating low and not-quite-him.

Ahsoka’s face contorts for a moment with a struggle, and the Son  _ growls, _ straining a little against the cuffs and Rex and Cody’s hands. It passes too quickly, though, and he says,  _ “I will not.  _ You should not push me, Chosen One.”

Anakin steps closer, his shoulders shifting back, a tight, immovable control turning his face and muscles to stone, only his blue eyes blazing deadly. Rex  _ feels  _ it, the shift in the air itself, and the Son’s sharp scowl and sudden tugging on his bonds again says he does too.

_ “You will tell me,”  _ Anakin commands, and the order has that ancient echo of a voice behind it, frighteningly familiar, and the Son laughs, but not confident. He laughs like he’s trying to hide fear.

“Fine then,” he hisses. “The Sith Lord you’re all so afraid of. He and I had a  _ discussion  _ \- he’s so interested in all of you, and I had so much to say. I might have gotten carried away.”

“What did you tell him?” Anakin asks, still controlled, still angry.

“I told him how  _ helpful  _ you were, when I was still contained on Mortis,” the Son snarls. Rex thinks he feels threatened now, which is frightening. “How you helped me, and we ruined his little game with the clones. He didn’t like that part. Oh yes, and I think I mentioned something about your padawan spending  _ so much  _ time with the Captain.” The Son leans into Rex’s side, tilts Ahsoka’s head against his shoulder, and Rex recoils a bit despite himself. “I could have told him a lot more, but I do like to keep some things to myself.”

~~~

Anakin grits his teeth, forces as much of the spitting-hot anger _ down _ as he can, says, still smooth enough, still clinging tight to the Force, letting it resonate through his bones, “Thank you, you've been very helpful.” He _ hates _ this, and as much as he wants to push for more information the Son looks and feels _ cornered, _ and he wants this _ creature _ out of Ahsoka's head _ now. _

His men look sick and horrified and confused, which makes sense. Anakin can't focus on them, though, can't let himself think about what the Temple guards behind him are hearing, what their faces are behind their masks. Instead, he takes a deep breath in, steadies himself, and says, “I'm giving you one chance. Get out of her before I  _ Force _ you out.”

“No,” the Son snarls, twisting a bit in Rex's and Cody's holds. “She is _ mine, _ you can't have her!”

“That's not an option,” Anakin growls, takes another step forward, breathes in and out, wraps the Force around him like a cloak. “So we're doing this the hard way, are we?”

“Seems that way,” the Son agrees.

Anakin closes his eyes,  _ reaches, _ finds the ragged edges of the Son’s presence in the Force,  _ pushes  _ at it, the weight of the Force behind him. He _ commands _ the Force the way he'd done on Mortis and he feels it _ respond, _ feels the very edges of Ahsoka's mind starting to reach for him, just a tiny bit.  _ “Leave,” _ he orders, very soft,  _ pushes _ a bit more.

“ _ No!” _ There's something deep and dark and ancient behind Ahsoka's voice, now.

Anakin breathes.

**_“Leave.”_ **

The Son _ wails, _ old and wild, and Anakin breathes in and breathes the Force out, and there is _ Light. _

~~~

Rex doesn't have to be told when the Son leaves Ahsoka; she slumps against him, suddenly, the charcoal black lines chasing up her skin and vanishing, and her dazed, unfocused eyes bleed back into bright, sun-on-the-ocean blue. Anakin is still concentrating, but Rex doesn't bother about that, just quickly reaches for Ahsoka's handcuffs to unlock them as the confusion in her eyes focuses into panic and horror. She makes a small, terrified noise, tugs on the cuffs and Rex gets them unlocked and off, curling his arms around her shoulders (careful, though) and pulling her close. She latches onto him hard, letting out a cracking sob, and Rex's  _ vode _ quickly come up to surround the two of them, murmuring. Rex touches Ahsoka's montrals, still careful, and when it doesn't seem to frighten her he presses her closer to his chest, tight, fingers soothing firm circles over her montrals.

_ “Ner'jetii,” _ he whispers, soft.  _ “Cyar'ika,  _ it's okay. I'm sorry, I've got you now.”

She barely responds to him, just presses closer, and then he feels a press against his thoughts; he panics, for a second, he can't help it, but he's felt this before, so he thinks he recognizes Ahsoka as the one nudging at his thoughts, so he carefully lets his shields down.

For a minute he has no idea what's happening, and utter panic sends his heart racing, makes him cling tight to Ahsoka, trying to swallow down guilt and horror. Then he realizes those feelings aren't his, and he tries to push them away a little, get them under control so he can  _ think. _ He doesn't know what he's doing, at all, so he just hangs onto Ahsoka, picks up on snippets of thoughts, in her voice but  _ different, _ just in his head, all jumbled up:  _ I'm sorry, I didn't know- he was in my head, I didn't know- I didn't want- I'm sorry, I'm sorry. _

_ Hey, it's okay, _ Rex thinks, trying to sort of push the thought toward Ahsoka, still stroking her montrals.

She responds, sort of, thinking  _ Rex  _ and pressing so close to him that he starts worrying she'll bruise herself on his armor. There’s a touch on his shoulder, too, and it alarms him for a second before he can untangle himself from his own thoughts and Ahsoka’s, realizes Cody has a hand on his shoulder, and his  _ vode  _ have reached out to touch Ahsoka’s shoulders and back too, very cautious, like they want to make sure she’s still here, the way they all hang onto each other when they have to stand and say their names. Rex smiles, tightly, because he's grateful, and rests his chin on the top of Ahsoka's head, trying to press more reassurances at her.  _ Look, ‘Soka, it's okay. We've got you. _

She shivers, her sobs just getting rougher, and Anakin comes over to join their little huddle, fury and worry still warring on his face. Rex closes his eyes and tries to push some of his own feelings at Ahsoka, because he feels like he's drowning in hers; there's the closeness of his  _ vode  _ and relief that she's alright and love for her and everything warm and strong in him he has to offer, even the anger. He's not sure if she feels it, but it's better than suffocating in all the fear, at least.

~~~

Ahsoka can't _ breathe. _

Everything _ hurts _ and there's something icy and clawing deep in her bones, and _ hells, Force, _ the Son was- she grabs on harder to Rex's projection, tries to wrap herself in the warmth of it, even though it's not quite _ enough. _ It helps, and so do her men's hands, but she-

She _ let him in _ and he did this, he hurt them, he hurt _ Kix, _ she doesn't, she can't-

Hells.

She reaches a little for Anakin, and he says, low,  _ He's gone, Snips, forever this time. I promise. _

She shudders softly, presses closer to Rex and her men. She's so _ cold. _

She stays close for a while, the men and Anakin pushing closer in as she relaxes a bit, but she can't- she doesn't know what to do anymore, he was supposed to be _ gone _ and then he came back, and he said he'd stop but he  _ didn't _ and he _ hurt them, _ she hurt them, Kix-

“Kix,” she chokes out, faintly, because what if he's- what if she-

“I'm okay, General,” Kix says, hoarse, and she feels a hand squeeze her shoulder. “Don't worry about me.”

_ Force, _ she can't do this. 

“Ahsoka,” Anakin says, very light, “if you're feeling up to it, you should let the men take you back to the barracks - you all need rest. I've got to go talk to the Council.”

She nods, though she doesn't lift her head from where she's buried her face in Rex's neck. “Okay,” she whispers, raspy, clings to Rex's mind and forces herself to take a step back, rubbing at her eyes with one hand and leaving the other around Rex. He pulls her into his side, which is good, that helps, keeps pressing love warm and safe and protective into her mind, and that helps too.

Her men form up into a close guard around her, start walking, and she half-closes her eyes and leans  _ hard  _ into Rex's side and tries to relearn how to _ breathe. _

It only half-works, but at least she's not completely choking and panicked by the time they get to the barracks, which seem _ empty _ without the majority of her battalion- “Where are they?” she asks, faintly.

It's Cody who answers. “Cleaning up on Utapau,” he says, calmly. “They'll be back by the end of the day tonight.”

Good. She wants them to be safe, wants to know they're safe.

Just.  _ Force. _

All of this is so, so _ wrong. _

The instant they step inside the barracks, there's something small, a weight suddenly _ slamming _ into her ankles, and Ahsoka looks down to see Orikih practically climbing up her legs; she bends down and scoops the little loth-kitten up into her arms.

She's _ shaking. _

Ahsoka looks around, but she can't find Naas - she wants him, suddenly, wants a hug from her friend. So, “Where's Naas?” she asks, quiet, leaning more into Rex and cuddling Orikih close.

She thinks the kitten is _ terrified, _ and for some reason that scares her.

~~~

Rex looks around, realizing that not even the whole 607th is in the barracks right now - the ones that are watch him and Ahsoka and his men warily, and Rex frowns because no one’s really answering her.

Even Rex can tell Naas’ loth-cat is scared; the little thing is trembling, its ears flattened, curled up in a tiny ball in the curve of Ahsoka’s elbow.

“Yeah, where is Naas?” he echoes, casually, but firm, and nobody will look at him but a trooper whose armor paint job is still fairly conservative - Rex thinks his name is Rivet. Rex meets his eyes, questioning, waiting for an answer.

Rivet looks at Ahsoka, then back at Rex. “Naas is- gone,” he says, matter-of-fact. “Everyone’s looking for him, he’s been gone almost as long as you have. We haven’t even been able to- to get her,” he points at Orikih, “out from under his bunk.”

“He’s  _ gone?”  _ Rex repeats, feeling, for a moment, as if everything’s  _ stopped. _ He thought Anakin would protect his  _ vod’ika,  _ there were the guards and the whole battalion - what the kriff  _ happened? _

“What do you mean, gone?” Ahsoka asks, softly. Her mind against his feels sluggish and exhausted.

Rex sees Brii stepping closer to both of them, twisting his hands together so tight.

“Just… gone,” Rivet says bleakly, looking away. “We don’t know, General Skywalker said- said the Sith must have taken him, so he’s trying to get him back.” Rivet’s expression says he doesn’t think they  _ can  _ get Naas back.

“But  _ how?”  _ Brii protests, tugging at his gloves, aimlessly. “How did he take him, how could-?” He stops, shuddering, and frowns tiredly at the floor.

“I don’t know.”

Rex nods. “Where’s Tuck and Beten?”

Rivet gestures. “Tuck is in the medbay. Beten’s trying to look for Naas.”

“I need you to go with Jesse and take Kix to the medbay for me,” Rex says, and Rivet salutes and comes over to walk with Jesse, who gives Rex a terrified look before taking even more of Kix’s weight and saying something quietly to him. Rex sighs, reaches over to numbly to scratch Orikih on the head, and Cody touches his arm.

“General Skywalker’s looking for him, so’s the battalion and the  _ Council,  _ Rex. Please just actually take a minute and  _ sit down.  _ Gods,  _ ori’vod,  _ you should go see Tuck yourself.”

Rex had almost forgotten his injury, but when Cody mentions that it starts to throb again. “I will,” he says. He’s not even sure if he’s lying or not.

Cody meets his eyes for an uncertain minute, then swears and carefully gives Ahsoka a one-armed hug. “I’ll see what I can do about this. Both of you please rest, for kriff’s sake.”

Rex nods, thinks he’d better get Ahsoka over to his bunk. She’s still in her boots and bracers and his shoulder armor, and he thinks Cody’s right, she should just rest, maybe sleep. He’s not surprised when Fives and Echo and Dogma and Tup and Brii sort of trail after them, Tup with a hand on Brii’s back.

Brii painted Naas’ armor. It’s not like exchanging armor but it still means protection.

Gods.

He’s gone. Rex said he’d protect him, said he wouldn’t let anyone take him, and he’s gone.

And he told Ahsoka the Son was dead before, he  _ promised,  _ he thought it was over, and it wasn’t. He doesn’t know how he couldn’t have realized. Now she’s terrified and Kix is hurt and there was precious little he could do about it, even if maybe he could have.

He hardly knows why he keeps trying, anymore.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if it helps at all we're coming towards chiller times?
> 
> for now.... for now we are so sorry

Ahsoka lets Rex tug her over to his bunk, sits down, tries to set Orikih down so she can pull her armor off, but the cat just grabs on tight with  _ claws, _ and Ahsoka yelps a bit and stops. “Rex,” she says, faintly, looks up at him helplessly.

“Here, why don't I help,” he says quietly, sits down next to her and unclasps her shoulder armor and bracers, sets them off to one side. She is able to lean over and get her boots and headdress off herself, and as soon as she's moderately comfortable she curls up on the bunk, shivers a bit, closes her eyes. Orikih cuddles up _ close, _ right beneath Ahsoka's chin, and that helps, is warm. It helps more when Rex gets his armor off and lays down too, wraps his arms around her and presses a kiss to her forehead - she nestles closer to him, breathes in the safety and security he offers.

Naas is gone. The Sith has him.

She doesn't even know _ what _ to think about that.

She's exhausted, cold and small and sick, so she curls up tighter around the kitten, tilts her forehead into Rex's collarbone. He lifts one hand and traces it over her montrals again, and that's soothing, that _ helps, _ and she swallows hard, feels a few more tears track down her face despite her best efforts.

She doesn't try to hold them back, though.

A part of her wants the closeness and comfort of Rex's mind against hers again, but she's so _ tired _ and it'd be so much effort to reach for him again, so she just presses as close as she can physically and reaches a little for the Force, hopes maybe for sleep, for an escape from all this _ horror. _

~~~

Fives wants to get the kriff out of his armor and sleep for  _ days,  _ but that’s not an option right now. Right now, he protects General Tano, because what the hells else can they do at this point? He’s taking General Skywalker’s word for it that “the Son” is gone, and he doesn’t care how Skywalker knows as long as this never happens again.

General Tano has always said that they don’t belong to anyone, has always defended  _ them, _ the  _ vode,  _ him and his brothers, never  _ once  _ thought they were anything less than human. And then that kriffing  _ whatever the kriff it was,  _ the Sith or the Son or  _ whatever,  _ tried to say she was  _ his.  _ She’s not, not their General, and  _ if  _ Skywalker is somehow mistaken and the Son  _ isn’t  _ dead, Fives is gonna find a way to kill the damn Sith himself.

Ahsoka and Rex at least  _ look  _ like they’re asleep, which Fives thinks is good - Commander Cody should’ve kept Rex out of the room on the shuttle longer than he had, but then the karking Captain -  _ Commander  _ \- is so stubborn that Fives isn’t sure even Commander Cody could’ve made him. Fives wants to tell Rex,  _ you know none of that is true, what he said, _ but he thinks Rex knows that as well as he does.

But it sticks around, anyway, with all the things Krell said, and before him Captain Tarkin, and before him officers and trainers on Kamino, and all sorts of other people in between. _All her favorite pets in one place._ _She can’t get all your brothers killed anymore - that’s why she let me in, you know. For you._

She wouldn’t. Their Jedi, their Ahsoka, she wouldn’t do that. She didn’t think they  _ wanted  _ that, did she?

Fives looks over at them again, flinching a bit when Echo sets a hand on his shoulder.  _ “Ori’vod,”  _ Echo says, quietly, concerned.

“I hurt her.” Fives leans into Echo’s hand just a little.

“She’ll be okay.”

“I still hurt her.” Fives had seen her arm starting to bruise, when Cody and Rex let go of her and the Son was gone. That was his fault, he should’ve been more careful. “I didn’t mean to, Echo.”

Echo sighs, closing his eyes, the scars around his right eye standing out in sharp relief against pale skin. He needs to rest, too. So do they all.

But they can’t leave Ahsoka, so that’s all there is to it.

“You can apologize to her later,” Echo says. “But you know she won’t hold it against you.”

Fives nods. He knows. That doesn’t make it better.

“You don’t think she… really  _ wanted  _ that to happen, do you?” Echo asks, soft, worried. “I mean I know we can’t believe what that thing said, but… Well, it sure sounded like she did. And I guess I- Fives, if she agreed to  _ that  _ trying to protect us, that’s  _ our fault.” _

“I know. But she wouldn’t,” Fives says, more confidently than he feels.

“Yeah, but…” Echo stops, rubbing his face with one hand, and Fives frowns.

“What’re you thinking,  _ ori’vod?” _

“Well, it’s just that… What if we made her think she wasn’t doing enough? No, don’t give me that look, I mean it. We just lost  _ everyone,  _ Fives, because of her plan.”

“It was a good plan! Not her fault it went screwy.”

_ “I  _ know that,  _ you  _ know that, we all do. The Commander agreed with the plan, it was all supposed to work, we just couldn’t predict the  _ demagolka.  _ But what if we made her think we blamed her?” Echo twists his hands together.

“Well, what’d you want us to do?” Fives asks, although that’s something he hadn’t really thought about, and now he’s  _ worried. _ “We- Echo, you know as well as I do that we-” He shakes his head, quickly. “I hate talking about it, we all do, hate thinking about it - so I never thought about  _ that.”  _ If Fives is honest, he hadn’t bothered thinking about how Ahsoka was doing about losing half the battalion, after the first few weeks, because he hadn’t even bothered thinking about how  _ he  _ was doing.

“Still,” Echo says. “Fives, this could really be  _ our fault.” _

Fives shrugs, swallowing. Sure, Ahsoka made the plan that got their brothers killed. But she didn’t make it by herself, and she asked for their input, and then she fought with them, and that’s the best any officer can do. Surely she knows that, Rex will have told her, so even if she blames herself there's no  _ way  _ she let the Son take over her mind over it. “I'm sure it's not,” he says, although he's not sure at all. “We can make up for it now, anyway, Echo.”

“I'm afraid,” Echo says softly. “Hells, Dip's right, Fives, we're karking cursed.”

“Echo, Dip thinks good moonshine can heal a cut better than bacta,” Fives says, dryly.

“You know what I mean.” Echo rolls his eyes. “What happens to us if General Skywalker gets expelled from the Order? They're saying he might be. They wouldn't let him be a General anymore.”

“Then we have General Tano, and they might give the 607th back to her.”

“Yeah, I know, but- but I'm worried about her. What if she doesn't wanna do this anymore?”

“She wouldn't just abandon us,” Fives says, firmly, and he's sure of that, but everything keeps going so wrong that he doesn't even know.

Echo nods. “I know that. I know. I'm just- What about  _ Naas, _ Fives, and Alpha and General Kenobi?”

Fives tugs his brother close. “We'll be okay, Echo. I know it.”

But he doesn't.

~~~

It's almost three hours of waiting for the last of the droids to be rooted out and discovered before Boil says they're all clear to load back up and go home. Beta has never been more grateful for the end of a campaign - his General is… he's not sure, really, but Commander Rex had _ stunned her _ and cuffed her and then they'd left, and there'd been the way she'd killed Grievous, the lightning and the Force use and-

Beta is not sure what is going on anymore. He just knows he needs to get back to Coruscant, so he can see his _ ori'vod _ and see his General and just - just make sure everything's alright.

It's not, but… 

Beta stays with Hang-up and Click as they take transports back up to the cruiser, doesn't really talk. There's just so _ much _ to think about, and there's been no word from any of his COs, and there's always been a certain amount of comfort in just being near his _ vode, _ his first brothers, the only ones who really remember the way it was before. He doesn't get to see them often enough.

He misses Alpha.

Alpha is, at least, doing better, although he's still confined to the medbay. The Jedi healers have been working on helping his  _ vod _ walk right again, rebuilding muscles that grew weak from too long in a bed.

Beta doesn't know why he's thinking about Alpha, except that it's better than wondering about General Tano.

It takes too long to get back to Coruscant. By the time they're back and unloaded and settling in, the General and the Commander are asleep on a bunk (with Naas’ loth-cat, and Beta hasn't seen his _ vod _ yet, is worried) and whatever it was that _ happened _ is long over. 

They learn soon enough that Naas is _ gone, _ missing, has been since almost they left, and Beta wants to go look for Naas, but he's more worried (irrationally, perhaps, but worried all the same) about _ Alpha _ being alright, so he excuses himself quietly and goes to the medbay.

His brother is asleep. That's alright - Beta just wants to sit and watch him breathe, anyway. To make sure he's still alive, still here, that Beta isn't  _ alone. _

He's not. But Naas is.

They have to find him, Beta thinks. But not today. There has been too much today, they all just need _ rest. _

(He does not think he can sleep, even if he tried.)

~~~

Cody comes back to the barracks after checking a few things with the Temple guards that are now assigned to the 607th and 501st’s barracks until further notice, and visiting General Kenobi, who kept demanding to know what’s going on, as it seems that everyone’s been smart enough to tell him as little as possible. Cody had told his General that it was complicated, that he would come back and explain later.

“That’s what Anakin said  _ yesterday,”  _ Kenobi had snapped.

Cody said “I’m not General Skywalker” and left. Duchess Satine had told him on the way out that a little while ago, Kenobi tried to  _ get out of bed. _ So Cody doesn’t really want to tell him anything either.

But he’ll worry about that in a while. First he needs to make sure his  _ ori’vod  _ gets to the medbay, see if there’s anything else he can do here. Cody doesn’t know how they’ll deal with the questions from both of their battalions. At least he can tell his men later, away from General Tano herself.

Rex’s  _ vode  _ are still holding a loose guard around his bunk, where his brother is curled up with General Tano, barely asleep. He doesn’t look good. Karking  _ di’kut. _

Cody walks over to the bunk and carefully, lightly sets a hand on his brother’s shoulder to wake him up. Rex still jolts, his arms tightening around General Tano, but when he meets Cody’s eyes he sits up, gingerly, reaching for his armor. General Tano stirs and Rex rubs her back automatically.

“Don’t bother about your armor,” Cody says. “You’re going to the medbay.”

“I’m not leaving Ahsoka by herself.” His voice is raspy, tired, and Cody doesn’t like the heavy emptiness in his eyes.

“I never said you had to. She probably needs a medic too. Come on, Rex.”

Rex shakes Ahsoka's shoulder until she opens her eyes, says quietly, “I'm going to the medbay. You should come, too, come on.”

She nods, gets up when Rex does and stays right next to him. Naas’ cat stays in her arms and she doesn't try to dislodge it. She doesn't look at Cody, and he frowns, doesn't say anything about it. He understands, he thinks.

Cody takes them to see Tuck, who's apparently been largely managing the 607th's medbay by himself since Naas went missing. Kix is on a bunk (doing alright, under the circumstances, Tuck says), so Cody deposits them near him, gives Rex a  _ look  _ so he sits down. General Tano doesn’t even need  _ that  _ much prompting. Cody crosses his arms and looks around for Tuck; his  _ vod  _ is busy so Cody just nods at him so he knows to come over when he’s able.

Naas is Rex’s  _ vod’ika,  _ Cody knows - he’s all of theirs, really, but Rex feels more responsible for him than most of them. As for his  _ cyare… _ Well, Cody feels helpless about that, which is beginning to be all-too-familiar. But at least if he can do nothing for them about the Force, or the Son, or Naas, or any of it, he can make sure they’re here and get their injuries taken care of.

Tuck comes over after a little while, starts to look at Rex but Rex points him to General Tano. Tuck checks her, careful, puts bacta on her arm and bandages it, declares she has a concussion - when Rex explains she was kicked in the head by General Grievous, Tuck frowns. “I’m surprised it’s not a worse concussion,” he says.

Cody thinks this  _ vod  _ is exhausted, too.

Tuck scolds Rex for not doing something about his leg earlier, but Rex doesn’t seem to care and Cody mildly says that none of them really had time to worry about their injuries earlier; Tuck puts bacta and bandages on Rex’s leg too, tells him he should take it easy (he’s not going to, Cody knows him  _ that  _ well, at least), and says he has some bad contusions on his chest and ribs.

“That’s probably because Grievous stood on me,” Rex mutters.

“Yeah, that would do it,” Tuck answers, shaking his head with a grim smile. “Be careful of those, too, Commander.”

“Sure,” Rex says.

“I mean it.  _ Both of you  _ need to let this shit heal, understand? Concussions are no joke,  _ General.” _

Rex nods, and Cody shakes his head. “Look, Rex, we’ll find Naas. You don’t have to run off and look for him by yourself.”

“I’m not going to, Cody, would you just  _ leave it?” _ Rex’s voice cracks, but he looks so much angrier than he should about this,

Cody grits his teeth. Gods-damned  _ di’kut. _ “You either, General,” he says, giving Rex a look:  _ we’ll discuss this later. _ “I can take  _ either  _ of you off duty with sufficient reason, and I  _ will. _ Don’t give me this banthashit.”

General Tano nods, shrugs a bit, and doesn’t look at him. Rex, on the other hand, glares at him and doesn’t even bother nodding. Cody wants to shake some sense into his  _ ori’vod,  _ but he doesn’t think that’s what Rex needs, anyway, so he sighs, hesitates, and then sits down by Rex while Tuck goes to get some pain meds for them.

_ “Ori’vod,”  _ he says, gently, in their language, the language of the brothers,  _ “Talk to me.” _

_ “I said to leave it,”  _ Rex says, tightly.

_ “No.” _ Cody rests his elbows on his knees, smiling just a little.  _ “I’m not gonna ‘leave it’ when you need to talk, Rex, that’s not what brothers are for.” _

_ “Not now, Cody, please.” _ Rex rubs his forehead with one hand and tucks General Tano so close against his side, and Cody reaches up to set a hand on the back of Rex's neck, steadying, insistent.

_ “You’re going to avoid me later,”  _ he points out, dryly.  _ “Or I  _ **_would_ ** _ wait.” _

Rex swallows, leaning towards him a little, but just shakes his head.  _ “I can’t talk about it.” _

_ “Rex.” _

_ “No, Cody, I don’t- I can’t  _ **_do this,_ ** _ okay, and it’ll just make it worse to talk about it.” _

_“It’d be better if you did, ori’vod, you know that.”_ Cody pauses while Tuck comes back to hand water and pain medicine to Rex and General Tano. It’s probably a little rude to have this conversation in front of her, but Cody doesn’t think he’ll be able to get Rex to leave her alone for a while.

_ “I’m tired.” _

_ “I know.” _

_“Tired of karking losing,_ _Cody, I keep trying and I keep losing everyone. You wanna tell me how that’s okay, how I’m supposed to deal with that?”_

Cody closes his eyes a second, pulls his hand back to twist it with his other hand.  _ “I don’t know, Rex.” _

_ “I can’t do this - I’m trying, but I can’t.” _ Rex’s voice breaks, some, and he shakes his head again. Cody sees General Tano give him a concerned look and take his hand in one of hers, so Rex offers her a small, weak smile.

_ “That’s all they ask of you, you know,”  _ Cody says.

_ “I promised Je’kai I would protect them,” _ Rex retorts.  _ “And instead I left and Naas is gone. And I promised Naas no one would take him. And I told Ahsoka the Son was gone, I said she’d be safe.” _ General Tano flinches when she hears her name, and Rex purses his lips, going quiet for a second.  _ “This isn’t good enough.” _

_ “Well, what else can you do?”  _ Cody asks.  _ “Are you going to give up, ori’vod?” _

Rex looks pained, exhausted, a little angry, but,  _ “I can’t. They need me.” _

Cody sits back a bit, gripping Rex’s shoulder with one hand.  _ “If you did nothing, you would lose more of them. This is the best we can ask for.” _

_ “I hate it,”  _ Rex says, and Cody pretends not to see his brother is trying not to cry, just pulls him close, not hugging him too hard because of his ribs.

_ “Yeah, me too, ner’vod. It’s going to be okay.” _ Rex buries his face in Cody’s shoulder, for a minute, and Cody just sits, quietly, because he remembers the last time Rex was this upset, when he lost his whole battalion except one squad, and they gave him the jaig eyes for it. Rex had asked him then, too,  _ what are we doing?  _ Cody’s still not really sure. Usually he thinks Rex knows better than he does.

After a little while, Rex straightens up, offers him a worn-out smile, and turns to kiss General Tano on the temple. Cody sighs and stands up, settling his arms behind his back. He doesn’t say anything about it, but he intends to stick with them both for a while. He’s tired of not being here, and he’s a little too worried about them to leave them to their own devices.

General Tano looks at Rex, then up at him, then quickly away. “I’m sorry,” she says, “for all- this.” She waves her hand vaguely in front of her. “It’s my fault.”

“Hardly,” Cody says brusquely, but warm. “This is outside of our control, General.”

She just shakes her head, looking away, and Rex looks down, mouth twisting bitterly with concern.

Cody sighs and squares his shoulders. Well, then. He’ll look after them both. He owes them this, at least.

~~~

Je'kai does not hear about his _ vod'ika _ disappearing for _ three days. _

He hates the safe house - it's the most opulent place he's ever been in, for certain, but it's hard to stay informed, and there's nothing to _ do _ to take his mind off of worrying about his battalion. He gets news every few days from the _ vod _ (a different one every time, and they don't tell him their names and they never wear their own armor, just in case) who delivers fresh supplies, and he's been trying to figure out how to get into the GAR mainframe off the datapad Senator Amidala gave him, but other than that all he has to occupy himself with is holodramas and holonovels.

He'd almost rather be on the run.

A _ vod _ comes to the door to deliver his supplies, and as usual, Je'kai lets him in; today, the brother is wearing 501st blue, and he smiles a little, because today, at least, he will get more specific news about his battalions.

“How are they, trooper?” he asks, lightly, organizing a few boxes of some sort of granola in the cupboards.

The trooper shifts. “Well, sir…” and Je'kai frowns a bit, eyes the  _ vod's _ mannerisms, and he knows who this one is. “Umm, Naas is- well, he's, he's gone.”

“What?” Je'kai says, very calm, very still, turns to face Brii fully, eyes the blue-painted helmet that he _ thinks _ belongs to Reed.

Brii fidgets, says, “The Sith- apparently he came while we were on Utapau and, and took Naas. The whole Jedi Council is looking, and so's General Skywalker-”

Je'kai pushes past Brii, goes to the room he's been sleeping in, and pulls out the unmarked armor he'd escaped in, his blacks, kits up _ fast _ and grabs the bucket and strides back over to Brii, who's pulled his borrowed helmet off, confused.

“We're going,” Je'kai says, crisply. He cannot let himself think of Naas all alone,  _ taken  _ \- no. If he thinks, he will not be able to _ move, _ so he falls back on old habits from Krell's reign as their  _ general  _ and makes himself think.

“Sir?” Brii asks. He's unsure, clearly, doesn't know what to do.

“Leave those supplies. We are going back to the barracks. I need to talk to Rex.” He needs to know how Rex could have- could have-

(He should have been there and he _ wasn't _ and now his _ vod'ika _ is gone, and Je'kai does not know what to do but the guilt is choking if he thinks about it. So he cannot think.)

“Sir, you _ can't,”  _ Brii says, fast, and Je'kai raises an eyebrow. (Should have been there. Wasn't.)

“I do not remember asking your permission,” he says, low, and puts the helmet on his head. “I _ told _ Rex this would happened.” He'd _ known.  _ He'd _ said, _ told Rex, that he needed to take the fall for this.

Rex had refused to listen, had _ promised _ to protect  _ his brothers. _

Gods.

Brii, wisely, doesn't say anything, just puts his borrowed helmet back on and nods. Good. There's a speeder outside, and Je'kai climbs in (waits, grudgingly, for Brii), turns it on and speeds to the barracks as quickly as he can, hands too tight around the controls. He should have been there for his _ vod'ika. _ He was not.

He parks the speeder, gets out and strides fast and smooth past- past a group of Temple guards, notices the _ vode _ in the barracks looking at him in confusion - they won't know who he is yet - ignores them to seek out Rex, sitting with General Tano on his bunk, the two of them very close, with Naas’ loth-cat, Orikih, curled up in the General's arms and hiding her small grey face. There's a guard around the bunk, Fives and Echo and a few others, but Je'kai ignores them, pulls the helmet off very fast and stares at Rex, snaps out, “I _ told you _ this would happen. This is exactly why I told you to karking _ let them recondition me.” _

His _ vod'ika _ is _ gone. _

~~~

Rex pushes himself carefully to his feet, clasping his hands behind his back and meeting Je’kai’s dark, worried eyes.  _ “Ni ceta,  _ Je’kai,” he says, quietly. “We’re going to find him.”

“You were supposed to  _ protect  _ him,” his  _ vod  _ answers, shaking his head, and Rex looks down.

“I know. I did my best, Je’kai, but I wasn’t prepared for any of this.”

Je’kai shakes his head again, growls out, “That’s not  _ good enough.” _

“I know it’s not. But what else was I supposed to do?” Rex shrugs, twists his fingers together behind his back. He  _ knows  _ what Je’kai wanted him to do instead, but Rex  _ would not  _ leave a brother to reconditioning, not anymore, not when he hadn’t done a damn thing to deserve it.

Je’kai looks away, takes a few steps back to a nearby bunk and sinks down onto it, dropping his head into his hands. “He needed me. He needed me and I was not-” He stops, goes back to shaking his head, over and over, and Rex carefully takes a few steps closer to him, uncertain. “You should have just let them recondition me,” he says, hollow. “I did it, I- attacked them  _ for him  _ and now that’s all-”

“Not if we find him,” Rex says, cautious, lowering himself onto the bunk next to Je’kai. “And we  _ will  _ find him,  _ vod.” _ He sees Cody give him a look from by his bunk, but he doesn’t really care. Rest or no rest, he gives priority to his men.  _ This  _ certainly isn’t the exception.

Je’kai folds his hands neatly together, jaw muscle tightening. “General Tano said the one after him is a Sith. I  _ know  _ what gods-damned torture he intends to inflict, I  _ felt it. _ He will not be the same. It is- it is too late.”

It’s not too late, probably, not yet, but Rex doesn’t say that. He doesn’t think it would help. Instead, he takes a risk and puts a hand on Je’kai’s shoulder, firm. Je’kai tenses a bit, but then leans almost imperceptibly closer.  _ “N’ceta,”  _ Rex repeats, raspy, looking down at his knees.

“I was prepared,” his  _ vod  _ tells him, voice cracking, “I- it would’ve been worth it, to protect him.”

Rex closes his eyes, tiredly. He doesn’t know what to say to that. Only that it wouldn’t have been right, to leave Je’kai. He should’ve protected Naas better, he should have left better instructions, but in the end… What were they supposed to do against a  _ Sith? _ Rex couldn’t even manage an oversized clanker without the Force - he wouldn’t have made much difference.

Still.

Ahsoka eases herself off Rex’s bunk and walks over, quickly leaning over to hug Je’kai, who goes stiff and straight as a board for a moment. Rex feels him shift more into Rex’s hand until Ahsoka lets go and goes back to their bunk, sitting down and tucking her legs against her chest.

“Look, Je’kai…” Rex sighs, rubbing his forehead. “The Council’s looking for Naas. And General Skywalker, and most of your battalion. When the General gets back, I’m going to ask him what he’s found so far. And we… might have some ideas about who the Sith is.”

Well, at least, some  _ shitty  _ hints from the Son, of all people. But it’s all they have to go on.

“Good,” Je’kai growls. “I will kill him myself, for what he’s done.” He glances over at Rex, defiantly. “I’m not going back to that  _ prison  _ you call a safe house.”

Rex purses his lips, frowns. “That will make things difficult. Admiral Lareen is still coming around and trying to ask questions about your disappearance, and I don’t think the Sith will just want to leave you alone.” They can’t have that thing coming back into his barracks; Rex can’t lose any more men like that.

“I  _ can’t  _ go back, Rex, I’m going insane,” Je’kai protests.

Rex rubs his face again, shakes his head, although he  _ knows  _ how that would feel. If they can just keep Je’kai’s presence here quiet, then maybe. But he shouldn’t  _ risk this,  _ he can’t lose another brother just because he feels bad.

“Please,” Je’kai says, and Rex shakes his head again, hesitating.

“You could stay in my barracks,” Cody suggests, suddenly, gruff. “Lareen asks around there but not so much, and nobody’s likely to look there. If the Sith decides to come around here, at least he won’t find anything this time.”

Rex sighs, concerned. It’s a better idea, anyway, but he still doesn’t like it. They’ll just  _ have  _ to keep anyone from knowing that Je’kai is here. Maybe most of the 212th shouldn’t even know. “Fine,” he says, tightly. “If you want to risk that, then  _ fine.” _

Je’kai nods. “I want to talk to the Council. He has Naas now, so- I’m going to tell them.” Rex inclines his head, serious, knows that’s difficult for his  _ vod’ika. _ “But you have to help me get to them without being arrested.”

Rex smiles a little, sharp, tired. “Shouldn’t be a problem,  _ vod.” _ He pretends not to notice Cody swearing quietly.

~~~

There's so much going on, with the return of the 501st and getting them settled back in and answering their questions about _ what the hells happened _ that Anakin doesn't make it to the medbay to talk to Obi-Wan for a couple of days. Cody goes with him, and Anakin _ wants _ to bring Rex and Ahsoka, but Snips is still… she's not good, and Rex won't leave her. So it's just the two of them that walk into Obi-Wan's private room off the medbay to explain everything that's happened.

Anakin thinks they might need reinforcements.

Obi-Wan is propped up on pillows, sitting up a bit, talking quietly to Duchess Satine (who is, he thinks, supposed to return to Mandalore soon - but she was supposed to return a week ago, and then Obi-Wan took a turn for the worse, and she'd stayed, so who really knows), when Anakin comes in, Cody behind him. His Master's eyes sharpen at the sight of them, and he shifts like he's trying to sit up more - Satine gives him a _ look _ and puts her hand on his chest, forcing him back down. “Can I assume you're finally here for the explanation you both promised me?” he asks, raising an eyebrow. “Or is it just time for more excuses?”

“You have to promise to  _ not _ try and get out of bed,” Anakin says, and Obi-Wan just _ looks _ at him.

Oh, well. It was an attempt.

“Alright, fine.” Anakin sighs, shoves his hand through his hair, says, “It started with Ahsoka taking the 501st and 212th to Utapau after Grievous. She wasn't confident, but with you in the medbay and me on… probation,” and he sighs, “she was the best choice.”

Obi-Wan already looks consternated. “They should have given her an easier campaign, to rebuild her confidence,” he says, pressing his lips together in a tight line.

“Yeah, that's what I said,” Anakin grumbles, “but you know the Council. They won't listen to me anymore anyway, ever since the Mortis reveal - which, by the way, I found out _ wasn't _ you or Rex or Ahsoka, you have no _ idea _ how glad I am.” The relief had been so sharp. “But anyway, more on that in a second. As soon as the 501st left, Darth Sidious - well, we think - managed to, well, sneak into the barracks and take Naas.”

_ “What?” _ Obi-Wan pushes himself up, fast, a pained grimace crossing his face but not stopping him. “You should have told me this _ sooner, _ I need-”

Cody doesn't say a word, just walks around Anakin and forcefully _ shoves _ until Obi-Wan is laying down again. “I _ will _ sit on you, sir,” he threatens, very calmly.

Obi-Wan _ glares, _ but he subsides.

“Then Ahsoka came back from Utapau possessed by the Son.”

This time, Obi-Wan doesn't say anything, just pushes himself upright again, something like horror in his eyes.

_ “Sir!” _

“That's what I felt?  _ Anakin, _ I need to know these things!” He looks like he's ready to run off and find Ahsoka himself.

“Don't worry, the Son is gone,” Anakin says, quickly. “And he told me that the reason the Council found out about Mortis was because the Son talked to the Sith Lord about it. He also… Apparently the Sith knows about, well, Rex and Ahsoka too.”

_ “Anakin,” _ Obi-Wan says again, which is ridiculous, that's the worried scolding tone and Anakin hasn't done anything to deserve it this time.

“What? That's good news, it means I can trust you again,” he says, lightly.

Obi-Wan does _ not _ seem amused.

~~~

Obi-Wan is  _ not  _ amused.

“How long ago did Ahsoka go to Utapau?” he asks, because things have felt  _ off  _ for  _ days  _ now, and he felt what was apparently  _ the Son  _ nearly a  _ week  _ ago.

“A week ago, today,” Anakin says, and Obi-Wan swears and just stops himself from trying to sit up again before Cody can catch him.

“I needed to  _ know about this,”  _ he snaps, twisting his fingers in the sheets, trying not to yell because that  _ hurts,  _ he’s discovered. “And how long ago was Naas taken?”

“A week,” Anakin mutters.

“Force!” Obi-Wan pushes himself up again, and Cody catches the front of his tunic and pushes him back down. This time he doesn’t remove his hand, and Obi contemplates exactly what he’s going to tell his damned  _ Marshall Commander  _ when he’s done dealing with all this. “How could you not tell me, Anakin? I know you didn’t trust me, but  _ this  _ is too much, I deserved to know. I could be  _ helping!” _

“Because of  _ this!”  _ Anakin snaps fiercely, eyes flashing. “You’re still karking  _ injured,  _ you need to be in bed and  _ healing,  _ and I knew as soon as you heard you’d be a kriffing  _ idiot!” _ Obi scowls, because that’s besides the point, there are  _ more important  _ things going on and he is not going to be kept out of things just because they’re  _ worried. _ Anakin meets his eyes, gritting his teeth, and gestures sharply in front of him. “For once, can you at least  _ pretend  _ to care about your own health?”

“I care,” Obi-Wan says, low, grabs Cody’s wrist and shoves his hand away with an effort. “But you all had  _ no right  _ to keep these things from me. None.” He doesn’t know if Satine knew, and he’s not sure he  _ wants  _ to know. He  _ cares  _ about Naas and Ahsoka, they should have  _ told him. _

Damn Cody, he doesn’t react, and Obi has a lot he wants to say to him, but  _ Anakin  _ of course isn’t so quiet. Damn him, too. “Just like you had no right to keep Mortis from me?” his friend asks, and it’s  _ not the same,  _ at all, but Obi doesn’t get a chance to say so. “I did it out of concern for you, Master. It was in your  _ best interest.” _

“It’s not the same,” Obi-Wan snaps. “They’re both important to me, too, Anakin, you can’t just not tell me for a  _ week _ that Naas is gone - I’ve been  _ helping him,  _ this was important. And the  _ Son,  _ for kriff’s sake, Anakin…” He trails off, quieter, sags back against the pillows and rubs his forehead, wearily. Force, he should have… He doesn’t know. He’s tired.

“First of all,” Anakin snaps, “it  _ is  _ the same thing, or near enough, except you didn’t tell me about  _ my own actions  _ because, what, you don’t trust me to be a  _ semi-decent  _ Jedi and not Fall.” That isn’t what it was  _ at all,  _ Obi thinks, how did Anakin get that idea? He opens his mouth to say so, but,  _ “Second of all,”  _ Anakin says, pointedly, “I care about you! And there are enough people out looking for Naas already, you don’t need to do everything!”

_ “We _ didn’t tell you,” Obi says, a bit strained, “because the Father wiped those memories for a reason, and because we didn’t want to  _ hurt  _ you. Whether or not you’re a ‘semi-decent Jedi’ had nothing to do with it - my priority is hardly making sure you’re some exemplary Jedi, Anakin, much less now that you’re not my padawan, and I highly doubt Ahsoka and Rex thought you would Fall, either.”

Cody snorts, which Obi-Wan takes as an agreement.

Anakin runs his hand through his hair, roughly, scowling. “Conveniently ignoring the second half of my last statement, I see,” he says.

“Conveniently ignoring  _ everything  _ I just said,” Obi retorts. He twists the sheets tighter around his fingers. His throat hurts. “But never mind.  _ Force,  _ Anakin, just leave it, then. What about Ahsoka, is she alright?” She’d confided in him before, after the Son, told him about being his prisoner and how it felt to be trapped in her own mine. He imagines she’s not doing well, right now.

“No,” Anakin says. Obi wishes he was surprised. “I don’t know, she’s been staying with the men. They won’t let her out of their sight.”

“I would expect as much,” Obi-Wan says, tiredly. “I want to talk to her.  _ Just  _ talk, Anakin, Force.” Anakin’s giving him a sharp look, and honestly Obi is fed up.

“You aren’t leaving the medbay,” Anakin tells him.

“I never said that, I said I wanted to  _ talk to her.”  _ Obi pinches the bridge of his nose, shaking his head. “What about Naas?” he asks, careful. “Have you found  _ anything?” _

“Nothing,” Anakin says, heavily, shaking his head. “I’ve been looking, but- it’s like he’s just vanished.”

“I see.” Obi-Wan sighs. If only he had known, and been there, he could have helped. Somehow. He’s felt responsible for Naas - the poor trooper is still very vulnerable.

He doesn’t think it’s an accident that the Sith Lord threatened and then abducted the  _ Ustura,  _ either. Or if it was an accident, it will be a welcome opportunity for the Dark Side.  _ Force. _

“There is one thing,” Cody says, gruffly. “Je’kai came back, when he heard about it.” He lowers his voice, is careful. “I’ve got him in our barracks, sir, he says he’s willing to talk to Council about the bombing if it will help find Naas.”

Obi-Wan raises his eyebrows, surprised. “Good, that’s good,” he says. He knows that’s no easy thing for Je’kai, though, and he worries a little that his peers on the Council won’t make it any easier. Not all of them are… terribly empathetic. “I should be there.”

~~~

“Obi-Wan…” Anakin runs his hand over his face, sighs. “Only if the medics say you can, okay?” He wants to straight up say  _ no, _ but - he thinks Je'kai will need the support, so… 

“Of course,” Obi-Wan says, and Anakin does _ not _ trust the look on his face, but what can he say? So he just nods, sighs and shakes his head a bit.

He's tired. “We're going to be bringing him in in a few minutes.”

Obi-Wan nods, and Anakin nods at Cody, and the two of them turn and leave the medbay behind, heading back to the barracks. He lets Cody go back to the 212th's barracks to get Je'kai, and he himself heads back to his own barracks. Rex, Fives, and Echo are all supposed to go too, and Anakin with them so they can actually get Je'kai into the Temple without him being searched and detained. He steps inside the barracks, finds his men, and, surprisingly, Ahsoka ready to go. He nods at Rex, looks at Ahsoka, says, “You up to this, Snips?”

She nods, swallowing a little, doesn't quite look at him, reaches out and takes Rex's hand. She won't be able to do that in the Temple if they want to try and keep this whole relationship secret, but Anakin doesn't say anything. Both of them _ know _ that, and right now he thinks the contact with Rex is what's keeping Ahsoka on her feet.

So he just smiles and says, “Well, it's good to have you on board.”

“Yeah,” she says, quietly, and he turns to Rex.

“Are you ready?”

“Yeah,” he says, and Anakin nods and turns to go. They'll meet Cody and Je'kai outside the barracks and then go into the Temple from there - the Council knows that Anakin wanted to meet with them about something to do with the bombing, but Anakin hadn't given them any specifics, just in case one of the less- trustworthy Masters (kriffing _ Master Tiin) _ tries to call the Guard.

That would certainly be counterproductive.

But at least for now, everything seems to be going according to plan, and that's good.

They've had enough bad luck the last few weeks. It's time for a change.

~~~

Je’kai wears his blank new armor to stand in front of the Council.

Some of the Councillors are there as holos, but that doesn’t make them less threatening. Most of them are stern, hostile even, and Je’kai can’t quite make himself look at them. He’s itching to stand at attention, but instead he follows Rex and Fives and Echo’s leads and holds perfect parade rest, feet planted.

General Kenobi is here, although Je’kai thinks he should not be; he’s in a wheelchair, bundled up, and his face is tightly lined and expressionless as if he’s in pain but doesn’t want them to see. Nonetheless, Je’kai is glad he is here. Commander Cody had said that Kenobi insisted on coming, and Je’kai knows that Kenobi has done a lot for Naas, so perhaps he, at least, will listen.

Je’kai does not trust the others.

“Your presence here is… unexpected,” General Windu says. It seems that he disapproves of the proceedings. “But we will hear your testimony, Commander Je’kai - it is far more important, at this time, to find your friend Naas than to enforce the GAR’s hasty verdict.”

Rex, standing at Je’kai’s shoulder, snorts humorlessly.

Je’kai shifts, looks around for a moment before settling his gaze on Kenobi, who smiles slightly at him. He will tell his story to General Kenobi, not these others.

“I was told to bomb this place,” he says, simply, flat and careful. “There was a man, he called himself Darth Sidious.” There is a reaction to that, murmurs and worried frowns, which he had somewhat expected, after General Tano’s reaction to the news. “I was doing a simulation, for practice, and he came. Shut down the simulation, held me where I was when I tried to shoot him. He told me that I would bomb the Council chambers, or he would hurt Naas.” He pauses, finds durasteel control. “I did not see his face. In case I did not take his threat seriously, he electrocuted me. I was not going to let him do that to Naas, or any of my men.”

General Kenobi nods, seriously, brow furrowed. Je’kai finds it hard to hold his eyes, but he does - Kenobi looks pained, and perhaps pitying. Still, it’s better than looking at the other Jedi, who are harder to read and, he thinks, reluctant to believe him.

“Why didn’t you tell us this immediately?” General Windu asks, and Je’kai glances at him briefly.

“If I had, he would have hurt Naas anyway. The point was for  _ me  _ to do it and take the blame for it. I am only telling you now because Naas has been taken.”

“I see.” General Windu leans back. “And you could think of no way to tell anyone what had happened, what the Sith had done?”

“I did not know what he was capable of,” Je’kai says, sharply. He was all-too-familiar with what could happen if he was caught, if the Sith learned that he was trying to get help from someone else. “I was not going to risk him finding out.”

“Understandable,” General Kenobi says, in the quiet, knowing voice he uses at times with Naas. “You say you didn’t see the Sith’s face - would you be able to describe anything about him?”

“Not much,” Je’kai says. Mostly he remembers being unable to move, and pain, and knowing he just had to save his  _ vod’ika  _ from this  _ thing. _ “I thought he was old, or at least disguising his voice. He was in a cloak, with a hood, but I saw his hands. They looked like an old man’s hands.” He will not forget those. “He was at least Near-Human.”

“Thank you,” General Kenobi says. “And you say he electrocuted you.”

“Yes.”

“Did you receive any treatment for that, trooper?” General Plo asks, startling him.

“No, sir. I would have had to explain what had happened.”

“Do you think you have suffered ill effects?” Je’kai can’t read the general’s alien expression.

“I have not, sir.” Not so far as he’s noticed.

“Perhaps it would be wise of you to see a medic, and be sure.”

Je’kai nods, uncertainly.

“This was of little use,” one of them says, a male Iktotchi who Je’kai does not know. “We know no more about the Sith than we knew before. And we have to do something about  _ this.”  _ He gestures at Je’kai with a coarse hand. “The GAR had sentenced him. We cannot seem to be contesting that.”

“We have other priorities at the moment,” General Kenobi says, mildly. “I am dealing with that issue, Master Tiin - if your opinion is required I will ask for it.”

General Tiin, apparently, subsides with a heavy frown, and Je’kai shifts a little. The Jedi are beginning to talk among themselves, uneasy, and Je’kai looks back at Rex and General Skywalker, then at the Council again. “Have you learned anything about where he is?” he asks, quickly, and all of them go quiet for a minute.

“No,” Master Yoda says, with dense finality in his voice. Je’kai stares at him, makes himself nod respectfully. Not even  _ they  _ can find him. He was right, it’s far too late. “Keep looking, we will.”

It’s been too long. Too long to find him, and even if they do, they will not find his  _ vod’ika  _ the same as when they lost him. Je’kai should have been here, but he was not, and now Naas is alone.

~~~

He is not here.

He knows, he _ knows, _ General Kenobi always says that's _ bad, _ but the- it _ hurts, _ and all the General's shields are gone, and so it is better if he is not here.

Not better, but less _ bad. _

Everything is _ worse, _ now. He wants Orikih. He curls his arms around himself and stares at the wall and counts the seconds and tries to put the- put it away, some. General Kenobi says that's _ bad, worse, _ but that's what the Chancellor wants.

The Chancellor came and took Naas from the barracks. He had been asleep with Orikih on his chest, only in half his armor (which he is not supposed to, but General Skywalker never gets angry), and the Chancellor had come, and he couldn't move, and everything was _ worse, worse, worse. _ Yellow eyes and laughing and _ cold, _ he remembers the cold, and then he couldn't move, couldn't shout, and then-

Then nothing. And waking up here.

The Chancellor says they gave Naas to him, that the Jedi didn't want him, that he was worse and so he was _ left, _ but Naas-

He is not sure.

The Jedi, maybe, but, but, Ani and General Kenobi and Commander- General Tano, they wouldn't, wouldn't want him to be left. Would they?

He doesn't know, doesn't know, doesn't know.

Sometimes, the Chancellor is angry, and then everything is _ worse, _ then he uses the lightning he used on General Tano. Most of the time, it is Naas’ fault. When he uses- the Force. It. He. The Chancellor doesn't like it. So no Force.

So he has to be not here. But. General Kenobi says _ bad, _ so.

Naas doesn't know anything.

He wishes Je'kai was here, because Je'kai always knows what to do, except he doesn't wish, because. because. Because if Je'kai was here, then _ bad, worse, _ then the Chancellor is _ worse, _ so worse, it _ hurts _ and Naas just- he just-

He is _ not. _

Not bad, not _ left, _ not a traitor. Je'kai will come, and Commander Rex, and the Chancellor will  _ go away. _

He wishes he would _ go away. _

He doesn't know how long it is before the Chancellor comes. Sometimes he has his cloak on, sometimes his robes, but always his face is visible. And his _ eyes. _ They are not always yellow, but sometimes, sometimes, and they make Naas want to _ go away. _

They are yellow today.

He wants to _ run. _

“I didn't use the- use it!” he says, very fast, because when his eyes are yellow that usually means Naas messed up, and he is going to be _ punished. _

But he didn't do anything wrong, he _ knows! _

“Good,” the Chancellor purrs. His eyes are _ sick. _

Naas wants to _ go away, go away, go away. _

“But unfortunately for you, your friend Je'kai did.” The Chancellor says this a lot. Naas doesn't  _ understand. _ “If it was up to me, I wouldn't have to do this, but I'm sure you can understand.”

No. Naas does _ not, _ will not, Je'kai did nothing,  _ go away. _

He _ never _ goes away.

Naas wants to be _ by himself. _

He is not here.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well guys, things are just gettin' so exciting around here, so here's a new chapter!
> 
> Leave a comment!

Rex sits next to Ahsoka on the floor, arm propped on his knee, and watches her draw. This art lesson, a poorly-disguised attempt to cheer Ahsoka up, had been Brii's idea - he supposedly wanted to show Echo how to draw people, and then he'd leaned over and said, “General Tano, do you wanna do it too?”

It's hard to refuse Brii, especially when it comes to his art, so she'd agreed. Brii had pushed over a couple pieces of paper torn out of the sketchbook Rex gave him, and now he's explaining to them how to draw faces. Rex doesn't say it, but Ahsoka isn't as bad at this as he'd thought she'd be. She's still not great at it, though. Not that Rex thinks he'd do better.

“I don't think I'm very good at this,” Ahsoka says, quietly, with a small smile.

“Look at mine,” Echo says, ruefully, holding his piece of paper out for her to inspect.

Rex winces a bit. No, Echo's not an artist.

“Touche,” Ahsoka says, smiling a bit more, “but I'm  _ still _ not very good at this.”

“You're both fine!” Brii interjects, smacking Echo's hand so he puts his paper back down. “It's  _ practice,  _ you have to try a lot before you get good at it.”

“I'm never gonna,” Echo mutters, but he stubbornly goes back to his sketch. “I blame this stupid karking mech eye.”

“At least you  _ have  _ a stupid karking mech eye,” Rex points out. “They coulda left you with just one and no depth perception.”

“Shut up, Rex,” Echo grumbles. “I'd  _ rather _ have both my real ones, but that karking  _ shuttle-” _

“Was your own fault,” Rex interrupts flatly. “Didn't bother looking at the karking  _ massive blaster cannon _ before you ran for the shuttle.”

“Shut  _ up.” _ Echo presses too hard on his paper and snaps the charcoal pencil, and Rex snorts quietly. “Kriff.”

“He's right, you know,” Ahsoka points out, very quiet. “First thing you're supposed to learn is situational awareness. And you weren't very aware of the  _ situation _ of that turret.”

“I'll give you situational awareness,” Echo grumbles, jabbing his broken pencil in her direction.

Ahsoka pulls the pencil out of his hand with the Force, rolls it between her fingers, and chucks it back at Echo so it hits him in the forehead. “Situational awareness,” she repeats.

Echo picks up the pencil, muttering to himself in Mando'a. Rex shakes his head and chuckles, leaning back a bit where he's sitting.

Brii points out something Echo should do to fix his drawing's nose, and then shows them what he calls “the next step in drawing any good face.” It's while they're working on this next step that Echo asks, carefully, “So, General- It seems like you're not wearing your armor as much these days.”

Rex frowns a bit. He's noticed, too. It can't mean anything, really, Ahsoka doesn't know about all the details of exchanging armor, about all their traditions with it. It still feels unsettling.

Ahsoka frowns, as if confused (reasonably enough). “It just gets in the way right now, I don't really need it.”

“Right, yeah,” Echo says, looking down determinedly at his drawing. Rex sighs a bit. He can tell his  _ vod'ika  _ is bothered, despite himself.

“Is… there something wrong?” Ahsoka asks uncertainly.

“No, course not, sir,” Echo says. He's a bad liar, but it's a good effort.

Ahsoka looks over at Rex, frowning, concerned, and he shakes his head a little. He can't explain right now, although he thinks he has a good guess about why Echo's worried.

They're quiet, for a bit, then Echo asks, very carefully, “You still-  _ want _ the armor, right sir?”

“Of course I do,” Ahsoka says, surprised, and Echo's face softens with a relieved smile.

“Oh. That's good.”

Rex snorts, shoves Echo's shoulder lightly.  _ “Di'kut.” _

_ “Ne'johaa,”  _ Echo grumbles, turning red.

~~~

Ahsoka is not, she decides, looking down at her attempt at a drawing, a very good artist.

Not that it matters really; this lesson was from the start obviously designed to distract her. She appreciates the thought, but it hasn't really worked. 

She hasn't been to see Kix yet, even though it's been a good five days since they returned from Utapau (having maybe struck the blow that ends the war). She's _ tried, _ but it's _ hard,  _ every time she thinks about it she remembers the Son laughing and cold, remembers her body advancing on Rex, remembers blood-red spilling from her fingertips and crackling over Kix's armor as his legs give out and the saber blade dies and he crashes to the floor. Remembers the Son humming about how he'd never promised not to _ hurt _ Rex.

How could she have been so foolish, to think that the Son could- would really hold to his word and help her protect the ones she loves?

Brii finishes explaining the latest step in their drawing, and Ahsoka dutifully works at it for a minute, but all the little flicker of joy has gone out of the activity, now, and so she sighs and pushes the paper away.

“Thanks for the lesson, Brii, really,” she says, tries for a smile, thinks she manages a thin one. “It was- fun.” Of a sort, at least.

“Don't you wanna finish the drawing, General?” Brii asks, unsure, fidgeting a bit, and she shakes her head.

“Maybe another time.” She can't do this right now.

“Oh. Okay,” he says, trying to be cheerful, she thinks, although really he just looks crestfallen.

That hurts, aches somewhere she's not sure of, but she can't really find it in herself to keep trying to draw..

“They wanted to do that with you,” Rex says, very quietly, in enough of an undertone she doesn't think the other two can hear him. “It's helping them too.”

She _ knows, _ she gets it, that she's-

Selfish, probably.

They're sad, she thinks, and that's her fault in so many ways. She never should've- the instant the Son had revealed himself, she should've ran for Anakin instead of trusting his whispers, his fake promises. But she didn't, and she _ hurt them, _ and it might not've been her but it was still her body that did it, Son or no Son. She hurt them, and now she was gone and Naas got taken, and that makes everything worse.

“I know,” she says quietly, to Rex, but she doesn't reach for the paper again, just sighs and pushes herself to her feet so she can go back to her and Rex's bunk.

Rex comes with her, after a moment, and she sighs and sits down on the bunk, tugs her knees up to her chest and leans into Rex's side. “I'm sorry,” she says, after a moment, soft, although she knows Echo and Brii can still hear her. “I just-”

She doesn't know how to say it anymore, because whenever she's _ tried, _ to explain how this was her _ fault, _ they've all ignored her, said it wasn't.

But it _ was. _ She's the only one who made that deal with the Son.

~~~

Rex wraps his arms around Ahsoka’s shoulders with a sigh. “It’s okay,” he says, although really it’s not, hasn’t been for a while. He wishes she’d be willing to  _ try, _ and doesn’t really understand what she’s thinking. “But- Well, ‘you just’ what, ‘Soka?” She hardly  _ owes  _ him an explanation, it’s just that Rex doesn’t know what to do. Maybe he should. He’s not sure.

She sighs quietly. “It really was my fault,” she says, and Rex frowns but doesn’t say anything. “But you won’t- listen, when I say that.”

Rex thinks Echo and Brii are listening, although they’re very studiously drawing still as if they’re not. He tightens his arms around Ahsoka’s shoulders a little, considering. “How’s it your fault?” he asks, because it all doesn’t make sense and he still worries about what the Son had said about her  _ letting him in. _ Not that he’d take the Son’s word for anything, but it had been a detailed lie, if it was one.

“He was already hiding in my head, but I-” Ahsoka cuts off, shaking her head, and Rex tenses. What the kriff does that even  _ mean?  _ “He came to me, before Utapau. I didn't know what to do and I just, I knew I had to keep you all safe, I couldn't let another Mandalore happen. He said he could help me. So I- accepted his help.”

“Is that what that was?” Rex asks, very flat and careful. “Him, taking you over, was that him  _ helping?” _

She shakes her head. “He helped me make the plan of attack. And he- I let him access the Force, he said he could help me fight Grievous. I should've pushed him away, I should've-” She leans away from him a bit, and he lets her. “But he hurt you.  _ I  _ hurt you. And Kix.”

Rex doesn’t know what else she’d expected from the Son. “Kix is going to be fine,” he says seriously.

“But it’s my fault he was hurt to begin with,” she says quietly, shaking her head.

“Yes,” Rex says, tired, rubbing his forehead. “But you didn’t want to.”

“I still- I did it either way. It was-” She pauses, and Rex is glad she can’t see his face. “It’s like you were, after Mortis.”

Except he didn’t kriffing  _ ask  _ Anakin to trigger the chip in his head. “I don’t think it’s quite like that,” he says, stiffly, although he thinks maybe he shouldn’t do this, now.

“I guess not,” she says, shrugging, looking down.

Rex looks over at Echo and Brii, who are barely pretending to draw anymore, and makes up his mind. “I want to go to my office. We need to talk.” The men have seen enough of their officers disagreeing, lately; no sense in making everything worse.

“Okay,” she says, quietly, so he gets up, clasping his hands behind his back and waiting for Ahsoka to walk next to him. He spends most of the walk trying to gather his thoughts, although he’s not sure he succeeds. He had not thought that even if there was something true to what the Son said, it would be like this, and for better or worse he is disappointed and angry. He does at least manage to control those feelings, somewhat, where he can control what he says about it.

He had not expected this from her.

When they get to his office, he pulls his chair around from behind his desk, snags the extra chair in the room, and haphazardly pushes them to sit next to each other. “Look, why don’t we sit,” he says, still careful. He is too tired.

He sits down after Ahsoka does, sighing quietly; she’s not looking at him, and he’s not surprised. He rests his elbows on his thighs, looking down at the floor for a second, then asks, “Ahsoka, how did you ever think it was a good idea to let him help you?”

She doesn’t look up. “I’m sorry, I know it was a bad idea.”

Rex shakes his head, contained, sharp. “You put all of us, including yourself, at risk with that ‘bad idea,’ ‘Soka, and I want a reason.”

“I just- didn’t want to get everyone killed again.”

“So you decided to get the help of the thing that possessed you before and made Anakin hurt all of us,” Rex says, flatly. He doesn’t  _ understand.  _ “You didn’t have  _ any  _ other ideas.”

“He approached me,” she says, quietly, and Rex watches her face, trying to just- figure this out, he supposes. “Said we both knew I couldn’t do this, and I’d get everyone killed.”

“And you listened.”

“He was right,” she says, softly, and Rex tightens his lips in a frown, closes his eyes for a moment. This is a problem. “But I think- I think he had been, been planting those kind of thoughts for a long time.”

“Why didn’t you tell me? When he suggested that, why didn’t you tell me, why didn’t you  _ ask?  _ You didn’t even  _ try  _ to come up with another idea, you just let him help you without ever bothering to mention that to me. I trusted you to make a plan and you gave me one that the  _ Son  _ made, and you didn’t think any of us should know about that? Hells, I could have  _ helped.” _ Rex runs a hand through his hair, quickly, anxious.

“I’m sorry,” she says, and Rex shakes his head and is quiet for a moment.

“So why didn't you say anything to me?” he asks softly, because he _sat with her_ after she made the plan, she could have told him, but she just did this by herself. The _Son._ He _hurt her,_ _killed her_ for kriff's sake, and she risked this _alone._

“I don't know,” she says, miserably, which isn't good enough. She continues, though, shakily, after a moment. “I just, I knew I had to protect them and I knew I couldn't do it, I don't know, he was in my head and had been and I was  _ scared _ and-” She stops, and Rex realizes she's tearing up, crying a little. He doesn't want to be doing this.

But he can't let it go, either. “None of us would  _ ever  _ have asked you do that. It was enough that you fought with us and did your best, I  _ told _ you - we've all told you before that that was  _ good.” _

“So, what, I should’ve just let you all die?” Ahsoka snaps, suddenly twisting to look at him. “Led you to your death again? Been the one to survive unharmed because the universe decided I should get to have the Force and a lightsaber?  _ My best  _ isn’t  _ enough  _ when it’s getting everyone  _ killed!” _ She’s pushed herself half out of her chair, face twisted between anger and pain, voice raised, but she pauses for a second, seems to get some control back, although not much. “I did what I saw as the only course of action that would make sure I didn’t kriff everything up because I could not,  _ would not _ lose you all again, and I was terrified and alone and not thinking straight, and I karking  _ know  _ I kriffed up, okay, I  _ get it.  _ I already feel like shit because it got you all hurt and I’m kriffing terrified this is the last straw and I’m going to lose all of you!” She sinks back down into her chair, burying her face in shaky hands with a bitten-off sob like she’s trying to keep from crying.

“Echo thinks you’re not going to want us anymore,” Rex says, quietly. “I don’t know why, but that was why he asked about the armor. Point is, my  _ vode _ don’t want you to go anywhere. I don’t think that you- understand how we feel about- about Mandalore. There’s- there’s no  _ last straw,  _ ‘Soka, not in this war. Not for you. Me and my  _ vode,  _ we still trust you.”

Ahsoka’s shoulders curl forward further, and she scrubs at her face before beginning to cry in earnest, choked and small. Rex doesn’t really know what to do, or if he’s just made things worse, so he hesitantly reaches over to stroke her back headtail, slow and careful.

~~~

Ahsoka leans into Rex's hand as much as she can, still curled forward over her knees, tries to hold back the choking tears. But there are too many of them, and Rex's words - that they somehow still trust her, after everything she's done wrong, all the ones she's lost - are like a lungful of air when you've been drowning. Forgiveness helping to pull her small, shaking self out of an ocean of guilt. He tugs her gently into his arms and she buries her face in the side of his neck, one hand clinging to his blacks.

It's just-  _ no last straw, _ he says,  _ not for you, _ and that means- she's not going to lose them, they trust her and they aren't- she hasn't broken that trust. She almost hadn't even realized how _ afraid _ of that she's been, until she'd said it, but it's been _ choking _ her, she thinks.

“I'm sorry,” she forces out, somehow, around the block in her throat, “I'm so sorry, Rex, I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

“Okay,” he says, softly, running his hand up and down her spine, “okay, I forgive you.”

That helps, some, but the tears are almost _ worse _ after that, thicker and impossible to stifle, and the sobs _ ache. _ “And he- he's been _ in my head, _ Rex,” she whispers, the _ horror _ of it still hitting hard, “he never left, he said- said I was _ his _ again and I- what if he's still there, I can't- I don't want him to talk to me again.” She can't _ breathe. _

“I know. I'm sorry, my ‘Soka, I know,” he says, tightens his arms around her, and she makes a muffled noise and presses closer.  _ My ‘Soka, _ he says, and that's _ good, _ she's _ his, _ not the Son's, not the Sith's.

But still- “He knew what to say, he made me feel so guilty,” and she'd never even _ guessed _ he was there, making it all feel worse, and what if he's  _ still here, _ she wouldn't know. “And I was so _ cold _ before, and, and I didn't- I should've _ known,” _ and she hiccups a little, coughs and curls closer. Shivers a bit, in memory of that awfulness. “I don't want him to come back, he made me _ hurt you.” _ She doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore.

“I've got you, it's gonna be okay,” he says, tilting his forehead against her montral and skimming his fingers across her back headtail. “General Skywalker says he made sure.”

And that's good, she trusts Anakin, of course, but all the same- “Everyone thought he was gone before,” she breathes, closes her eyes tight and hangs on. “I thought-” Something else occurs to her, then, and she pulls back enough to look at him, wide-eyed, says hoarsely, “What if it's true, Rex? What if- when he bit me and he, he killed me, what if I really _ am _ his, what if-” and she can't keep going. What if she's just been allowed this whole time to think she's free when in reality everything she does is for _ him? _ “He told the Sith about Anakin, he said, or he did through me, I don't know,” and she shakes her head, “Maybe everything is just- the way he wanted it.” She can't _ breathe _ at the thought, but it won't let go of her, sinking in and grabbing on like claws. And what if he just pretended to be gone? What if Anakin _ thought _ he did it, but he didn't really, and the Son is still laughing, laughing, laughing somewhere in the back of her mind?

Oh, Force, she _ can't. _

~~~

When Ahsoka starts to panic, Rex does the only sensible thing and lifts her bodily off her chair and into his lap, curling his hand over the back of her head and wrapping her up as much as he can. “No,” he says, firmly. “You are not his, ‘Soka, it’s not like that.”

“But- maybe I am, I don’t-” Ahsoka stammers, and Rex presses his forehead against hers, close, close. “I wouldn’t know- he was supposed to be  _ dead  _ but he’s been  _ in my head.” _

“He’s  _ gone,”  _ Rex growls. He has to be. There’s no other option here; they cannot do this again.

She looks at him, pained, and he cups her cheek in one hand. “But last time- you  _ promised,”  _ she says, “and he still came back, what if-”

Rex flinches, a little, shakes his head. “What if I… What if I could look, and see if he’s still there, would that help?” He’s not sure it could work, but she’s read his mind before and let him read hers so he thinks he could manage that, if she let him.

He’d know, if something wasn’t right, he thinks.

“Please,” she says, and there’s the strange feeling like a  _ hello _ or a knock against his awareness again, so he carefully lets Ahsoka in so he can feel her thoughts and feelings (so strong this time too). He doesn’t think he’ll get used to this, but then of course he doesn’t have to. Just has to make sure there’s nothing in Ahsoka’s head that shouldn’t be.

He tries not to look too much at her thoughts, although he really doesn’t know what he’s doing; he just carefully listens for  _ cold,  _ like she said, for anything that doesn’t feel like her or him or anything else. Clumsy as it is, he’s still pretty sure that when he pulls back from her thoughts some, there really, actually aren’t any traces of the Son left. He hopes.

(He also picks up on the feeling that she feels safe when he holds her like this, which is- gratifying, if he’s honest.)

Rex gently pushes back up his rudimentary shields, although he almost thinks that disappoints Ahsoka, then smiles a little at her. “Looks like a clean bill of health, ‘Soka.”

“Thank you,” she says, quiet and raspy, leaning into his chest and closing her eyes.

“No problem,” he answers, wryly. “I do this all the time.”

Ahsoka rests her head on his shoulder with a small, shaky sigh. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” Rex rubs his fingers in firm circles over her montrals, following the lines of her blue stripes. He can’t so much protect her, from some of these things, but if he can make her feel safe, and that’s better at least. So he holds her very close until she’s not crying as much, and tries to be as reassuring and steady as he can be.

After a while, when he thinks she’ll be alright, he pulls his arms back, just settling one hand on her lower back and sitting up a little straighter. “Look, Ahsoka…” He pauses, trying to work out what he wants to say, then sighs. “You’ve earned our trust, because by now we know you deserve it - because you listen to us, and you don’t waste lives if you can help it, and if what you want to do is risky, you share the risk and you’re  _ careful.”  _ Rex shakes his head. “Fives made you a whole list, if that’s not enough for you. But asking the Son’s help, you put yourself and all of us in danger and you didn’t even tell me. I can’t excuse that, ‘Soka. We can take losses like Mandalore,” it’s hard, but they can, they always have to, “and I understand mistakes in judgement. But you can’t ask my  _ vode  _ to risk something like that when they don’t even know that’s what’s happening. That’s not why they trust you.”

“I know, I’m sorry,” she says, softly. “I didn’t think he’d try to take over again.”

Rex sighs. “With him involved, there was always going to be some kind of threat, even if there wasn’t that. Honestly, ‘Soka, I still don’t understand why you let him help. But at least if we had talked about it, we could have had plans in case everything went wrong, or in case he did take over, or in case it was a trap. You’re my General. If I didn’t address this, it would be doing you a disservice, and I wouldn’t be doing right by my  _ vode,  _ either.” This why his  _ vode  _ trust  _ him,  _ because he doesn’t let people take advantage of them, of their trust. And he knows that is never what Ahsoka would intend to do, but nonetheless. She should not have done what she did. He thinks, believes she would not do it again.

“I know,” Ahsoka says again. “I’m  _ sorry.” _ She leans back into his hand, closer to him, and Rex sighs again, slow.

“Alright,” he says. “I just- I needed to say that to you.”

She nods, looking down. After a moment, though, she looks up at him with a confused frown on her face and asks, “What did you mean, Echo thinks I won’t want you anymore?”

Rex rubs his forehead, shaking his head. “Well, it’s- it’s the armor, ‘Soka, we- Well, I don’t know what he’s thinking, really, but if you don’t want the armor somebody gives you, or you get rid of it, then it’s like rejecting the person. And you haven’t been wearing the armor much, so I think Echo is afraid you don’t want him trying to protect you anymore either.” Rex has thought the same, but he’s had the sense to ignore that, because he knows Ahsoka a little better than that (and he’s very familiar with how much or how little she knows about that tradition, which Echo is not). He’d meant to ask Echo about that later.

~~~

Ahsoka just _ stares, _ for a moment. She'd never imagined- “But I'm really only not wearing it because it gets in the way when I- want to be close like this,” she says, very soft, stares down at the hand she's splayed across Rex's chest.

“I know,” Rex says, soothes his fingers across her back a little. “But everything's been so kriffed up, maybe he's just scared. I don't know, I'd ask him.”

She nods. That would be smart, probably. She doesn't want Echo, her _ friend, _ to think that- that she doesn't want him anymore, when nothing could be further from the truth. Even so, “I need- to go see Kix,” she says, quietly, looking up at Rex a little for his reaction. “And, and Alpha.” He's still in the medbay, but she hasn't gone to see him since right after Mandalore - she'd felt too guilty just thinking about it.

“Okay,” Rex says, quietly. “Do you want me to come with you?”

“Yeah,” Ahsoka says, quietly, nodding. “That would- be good, yeah.”

“Alright.” 

She stands, and he stands, takes her hand, and they leave his office behind, cut back through the barracks on their way out. Echo and Brii are still scribbling away at their drawings, and Echo looks questioningly over - Ahsoka manages a smile at him, sees him relax a bit. Good, that's good.

She really does have to talk to him.

But first, Kix and Alpha.

It's not a long walk to the medbay. Alpha and Kix are in the same ward, now, Alpha having been moved from the area for the more serious cases just a few days ago. She can see Kix from the entrance to the ward, but at first she can't quite make herself go over to him.

Maybe- what if he doesn't _ want _ to see her?

“Do you think they want to see me?” she asks Rex, uncertain, looking up at him.

“Of course they do,  _ ner'jetii,” _ he says, and she swallows and takes a deep breath.

Okay. Okay, that's good.

Rex squeezes her hand and smiles down at her, and she returns the smile as best she can, sets her shoulders back and crosses the medbay to Kix's bunk.

“General,” he says, deferential but smiling a bit. “Wasn't sure I was gonna see you.”

She shifts, a bit, says, sheepishly, “Yeah, I- sorry about that. Rex set my head straight.”

She's glad, she thinks - she's rather be with the men than hiding from them in guilt.

~~~

Kix thinks he might’ve liked to see that, but does not say so. He just smiles and carefully pushes himself into a more upright sitting position. He’s doing better, although still there is the muscle pain and nervous spasms. He’s grateful for the armor and blacks that kept him from getting electrical burns, at least.

“Well, I’m glad you’re here,” he says, seriously. He would have understood if she hadn’t come to see him, but he was happy she had.

“I’m glad I’m here too,” Ahsoka answers, with a small smile, and Kix nods.

“Are you taking care of yourself?” Kix doesn’t particularly trust her to be careful with herself at the best of times, and everything has been hard lately.

“Sure,” Ahsoka says, laughing a bit, and when Kix raises a dubious eyebrow at her, she adds, “I’m not the one in the medbay.”

“The fact that I’m in the medbay proves I  _ am  _ taking care of myself.” Unlike  _ some people,  _ Kix actually gets medical treatment when he gets injured.

She laughs again. “Well I don’t have any reason to be in the medbay, so…”

“Not this time.” Kix asked, so he knows what injuries she has. If they had a proper leave and time, he’d really rather have  _ Rex  _ in the medbay, but of course asking Rex to stay off his feet now that Naas is  _ gone _ would be an exercise in futility.

Seriously, Ahsoka fidgets a second then asks, “Are you- doing okay?”

“Well, you know,” Kix says, dryly, flexing his hands a little. “Electric shock is no joke. But yeah, considering, I’m okay.”

She twists her hands together, and the Force hums careful concern, so Kix reaches into it a bit more and feels that Ahsoka is guilty. He’s not surprised. “I’m- sorry you got hurt,” she says.

“Yeah, well. It happens.” Usually it isn’t so spectacular, but all the same.

“Usually it’s not because your General electrocuted you, though,” she says, with a lopsided attempt at a smile.

“No. Usually not. This is a new one.” Kix decides it wouldn’t be prudent to mention the only  _ other  _ time a general has attacked him. It’s not even that funny in his head, anyway. He’s just developing a rather concerning track record.

Speaking of which, he hopes none of this has gotten back to GAR command. The 501st is getting in a bad habit of arresting their generals and Kix would prefer that they didn’t have to try to explain about the Son to the GAR high brass.

He doesn’t think they’d get it.

Ahsoka looks away from him, shifting a little and curling her arms around her middle, and Kix looks over at Rex, who’s being his usual immovable self next to Ahsoka. His  _ vod  _ shrugs, just a little, so Kix doesn’t think it was his idea to come here. Kix sighs, rubbing his face - he’s so tired (it’s a result of the shock, he knows, so at least the fatigue will go away with another day or two) and he wants to sleep again.

“Any news about Naas?” he asks. Nobody’s had much to tell him, but maybe Rex and Ahsoka will know.

“All we have is a guess that he’s in the Coruscant system still,” Rex says, wearily, expression cracking and shifting for a moment like tectonic plates, unsettled for a moment and then still. “We’re not even sure of that, it just seems likely since he- could be used as a weapon.”

“Hells,” Kix says, quietly, shifting back in his bunk and closing his eyes for a second. He is tired, but he still wishes he could help look for Naas. He’s tried asking the Force, but the Force only answers with fear and confusion and  _ dark, dark and cold, _ and  _ pain. _ Kix has stopped asking. It makes him feel sick.

 

Ahsoka sits with him, for a bit, and she doesn’t say anything and neither does Kix. He just fights sleep until she gets up and quietly says she’s going to go see Alpha. “I’m glad you’re feeling better,” she tells him, and, wryly, “Take care of yourself.”

_ “Ne’johaa,”  _ Kix grumbles, waves a hand at her. “Tell Alpha I said if he’s not being careful I’m going to make him regret it later.”

“Will do,” she says lightly. Rex touches his shoulder, says he’ll see him later, and Kix manages to acknowledge that with a nod before he shuffles down further in his bunk, lets sleep pull him away from the ache in his muscles and the exhaustion in his limbs.

~~~

Ahsoka leads Rex across the medbay, looking around for Alpha's bunk - she finds the other trooper laying down with his eyes closed, although she doesn't think he's asleep.

Rex says he'll want to see her, but- if she'd been _ better, _ he wouldn't have gotten hurt.

Alpha opens his eyes when they come over, grins. “Oh, hi!” he says, cheerful, and tries to push himself up before making a face, like he's just now remembering he's been _ stabbed. _ By a _ lightsaber. _

“Kix says if you're not careful he'll make you regret it,” Ahsoka says, lightly, raising an eyebrow at Alpha's crossed arms.

“Of course he does,” Alpha grumbles. “Asshole.” Then he winces, as though for a moment he'd forgotten who he's talking to.

Ahsoka just snorts. “Yeah, he kinda is,” she says, then sighs. “How are you feeling?”

“Dunno. Skewered, I guess.” He shrugs.

She _ laughs, _ can't help it, feels a grin spreading across her face. “Silly me for asking, I guess,” she says, still chuckling. She has, she realizes suddenly, missed Alpha's presence in her battalion.

“Yeah,” and he grins, scrubbing at his face with one hand. Sobers, some, says, “So… I don't really know what's been going on, everyone's too busy to talk, except Beta, and he's ‘trying not to worry me’, so what's up?”

Ahsoka hesitates. Alpha is still injured - but he deserves to know, he's Naas’ friend, and so- She glances over at Rex, unsure. Should she explain? She doesn't know. Rex nods, smiles just a little, encouraging, and she takes a deep breath. “Naas is- well, Naas is gone,” she says, slowly. “We were sent to Utapau, after General Grievous, and when we got back we found out the Sith had taken him. But we're trying to find him, everyone is, even the Council.” She bites her lip, swallows hard, tightens her fingers in Rex's. What if Alpha blames her?

“Yeah, I know, I- Can you find him?” He's so earnest and worried.

She swallows again. “We're trying,” she says, very carefully. “It's sort of a waiting game right now - we need the Sith to make his next move.” She doesn't mention the Son, or the fact that they now have a way to find out, sort of, who the Sith is because of all that, or the fact that Je'kai has returned and is hiding out in Cody's barracks. She's not sure any of that would be helpful, and anyway, most of it is sensitive info. “But we're doing our best, Alpha, I promise.” If her promise still even means anything anymore.

She can't let herself think about what could happen if their best isn't enough.

~~~

“I feel like waiting for Sith to make their next move is a bad idea,” Alpha mutters, anxiously, rubbing his face. He assumes Generals Skywalker and Tano know what they’re doing, but hells, anybody else and he’d be freaking out.

“It’s the only option we have,” General Tano says, tiredly, and Alpha blows out a disappointed breath.

“Go figure.” He’s afraid the  _ next move  _ is going to be something with Naas, and he’s afraid they won’t be able to get his  _ vod’ika  _ back, at  _ all. _ He pulls his blankets closer to his chin, although he’s too hot, and sighs, trying not to seem too upset. His stomach doesn’t hurt so much today, anyway, and General Tano says they’re doing their best, so he’s got nothing to be upset about.

General Tano steps over to him and puts her hand on his shoulder, which is kind of nice. “We  _ will  _ find him, Alpha.”

“Yeah, I know, sir,” he says, smiling a bit. He hesitates, then, because there’s a question he wants to ask, but Beta had been so cagey about the whole thing and said  _ he  _ didn’t even know what had happened, but Beta said that when they were on Utapau something happened with General Tano and they had to  _ stun her  _ and then bring her back here, and that was  _ all  _ the information Alpha got. (Beta  _ also  _ said that Commander Rex dueled General Grievous with a  _ lightsaber,  _ but Alpha thinks Beta made that up to distract him. That would be  _ really kriffing cool,  _ though.) He shifts a bit, rubs his nose, and decides he’d better just ask, since no one else has been telling him much of anything. “General… Beta says- Well, Beta said something weird happened with you on Utapau, and I was- Actually, never mind, sir, sorry.” He shouldn’t be  _ asking  _ about that, it’s none of his business if nobody’s told him yet, and he doesn’t think the General liked the question - she’s looked down, pulled her hand off his shoulder, and really he should have just left well enough alone.

General Tano nods, once, and says, “Yeah, there was- Something from an old mission came back, and it took me over.” Alpha’s eyes widen, and he blinks a couple of times, in case he heard wrong. “But I’m fine now.”

“Oh, great, yep, okay,” he says, nodding quickly. Jedi. He doesn’t get  _ Jedi. _ Nothing like this ever happened with General  _ Piell,  _ but also General Piell mostly just threw things around with the Force, when he used it. General Tano is different. So’s General Skywalker.

_ Sometimes,  _ just sometimes, when he’s watching Hero With No Fear or hanging out with Naas, Alpha wishes General Skywalker was still his General. But he  _ shouldn’t,  _ because he likes General Tano, it’s just…  _ General Skywalker. _

Lately, though, stuff with General Skywalker has been bad, too. Alpha wishes everything would go back to normal, but ever since Umbara everything’s been  _ wrong. _

“Thanks for coming to see me,” he says, quietly, grinning. Rex has come a few times, and Brii and Beta come a  _ lot,  _ but with everything as kriffed up as it is, he hasn’t had a lot of visitors. Which is fine.

“Of course,” General Tano says lightly, smiling. “You took a saber for me - I’d be a bad friend if I didn’t.”

Alpha rubs the back of his neck, grinning a bit and looking down.  _ “Technically  _ I took a saber for Brii,” he mumbles. “Because he was being stupid.” Brii has told Alpha that  _ Alpha  _ did a stupid thing, but Brii’s the one that thought he should yell at a  _ Sith _ that had a  _ saber  _ and  _ metal legs. _ Although, if he hadn’t, General Tano might be dead, so maybe it wasn’t  _ all  _ stupid.

“Stupid or not, he saved my life - both of you did,” she says. “And saved everyone else, too, and Mandalore. So thank you.”

Alpha turns red, rubs his neck harder and stammers out, “Okay, sir. You’re welcome, I guess.”

Commander Rex smiles at him, says, “I appreciate it, too, Alpha. I wouldn’t like to have to do without her.”

“Okay,” Alpha says again, sheepish, looking down. He keeps grinning like an idiot.

His General reaches over to pat his shoulder again, smiling at him (it’s a real, proper smile, which is good). “Get better soon.”

“I’m trying,” he says. “I don’t like staying in bed.”

“Nobody does,” Rex tells him. “We’ll keep you updated on Naas.”

“Okay.” Alpha doesn’t entirely believe General Tano when she says they’ll find him, but that’s not anyone’s fault. He just thinks it’ll be harder than they’re saying. “See you later?” he says, sounds like a  _ kid,  _ damn it.

“Sure,” General Tano says, grinning, and Alpha nods.

That’s good. He guesses he’s missed his battalion a little. But things will get better soon, he thinks, and then when he’s healed and the battalion is normal and, maybe, Naas is back, then it will all be fine.

~~~

Anakin leans on the edge of the holotable, staring at the slowly rotating holomap of Coruscant in front of him. They're looking all over the planet for any possible place Naas could be, and anywhere the Sith might be making his lair. The Council thinks the Sith is, at the very least, a prominent member of the Senate - Anakin isn't so sure, but he supposes it would make sense. Hiding in plain sight, somewhere no one would think to look, with access to power and people and _ knowledge _ \- but there's thousands of Senators, so that idea doesn't help them narrow the search down very much.

Anakin is _ exhausted. _ But he can't stop to sleep, because who _ knows _ what the Sith could be doing to Naas. Torture, he thinks, is the least of their worries - Naas was mostly out of danger before this, but it wouldn't be very difficult, Anakin thinks, to make him fall back into the fear of the Force that nearly caused him to _ snap, _ after Umbara.

The blue-glow of the holo is marred by pulsing red dots - points of interest, where Naas might be. The Guard has been patrolling these areas with Jedi help, and while so far they've rooted out quite a few bounty hunters and petty thieves and criminals of both low and higher tiers, there's been no sign of Naas  _ or _ the Sith Lord.

It's been over a week, now, since Naas was taken. There have been no signs. Maybe he's dead - but when Anakin has spoken to the Council (who are, it seems, delaying their verdict on whether or not he can remain a Jedi until after Obi-Wan is healed and Naas found), Windu and Yoda both have repeatedly said they can still feel Naas’ presence in the Force. So not dead, just hidden.

Hidden very well. Like that damn Sith.

“Skywalker,” and Anakin looks up to see Master Plo walking into the room, alien face inscrutable as ever, “when was the last time you slept?”

Anakin shrugs, rotating the planet-holo and zooming in on a cluster of red dots on one of the lower levels. “Have we checked here yet? The Force says there's something important here.”

“No, we have not.” Plo hums thoughtfully, for a moment, says, “I will have the Guard search there immediately. In the meantime, you should get some rest.”

“I'm not tired,” Anakin says, although halfway through the sentence he can't hold back a massive yawn.

“Indeed.” Anakin _ thinks _ Plo is laughing at him, but he's not really sure. “You should lie down anyway - I'll continue the search.”

“Master,” Anakin protests, but there's really no use in arguing - the older Jedi just smiles, some, and Anakin sighs and turns reluctantly from the holomap, stifling another yawn.

Okay, so maybe he's a _ bit _ tired.

“Comm me immediately if you find anything,” Anakin orders, and then he leaves the room behind. He'll go to his quarters and sleep for a bit, maybe, and then he'll come and start looking again.

Or maybe he should go down to the barracks and check in on Je'kai, and the rest of his men. Beten came back from scouring another level last night - Anakin should probably see about trying to keep his senior medic (or, one of two, since Tuck had more than earned a promotion) around for a while. Maybe he'll have Tuck threaten to sedate him, or something.

So he turns aside from his Temple room, goes to the 212th's barracks. Je'kai is alright, although very clearly _ upset, _ and worried - they talk for a few minutes, Anakin summarizes briefly his findings (or lack thereof), and then he exchanges a couple words with Cody and heads to his own barracks, wanders down the rows of bunks quietly chatting with some of his men. He's cornered by  _ Brii _ of all people, who informs him that, “You may not be my General anymore, sir, but I'm not gonna just let you be more of a _ di'kut _ than _ Fives.” _

So Anakin laughs and lets Brii lead him over to an unused bunk, sits down and tugs at his boots, yawns again because apparently he really _ is _ tired. “Make sure Beten doesn't run off again,” he mumbles, and then he doesn't remember anything else.

~~~

Rex pores over the locations on Anakin’s notes, making his own notes next to his General’s. Coruscant is too large, and that’s excluding the rest of the system. He has no idea how they’ll really find Naas, when he looks at these lists. They have no leads, not really, but still he sits here and tries to give his opinion on what the Council thinks - he has some perspective that they don’t, or else he can ask Fox for his opinion, so between them they have narrowed down their search radius some, but really it is all guesswork, because this is not a threat they are familiar with.

At least the war itself appears to be drawing to a close - the Republic has been discussing terms of surrender with the CIS Senate, according to General Skywalker, and the Republic Senate has begun to debate the role of the Jedi and the GAR when the war is over.

Rex mostly doesn’t allow himself to worry about that yet. The war is not yet over, so until it is, he won’t consider what could happen to his brothers  _ after. _

Ahsoka’s sitting with him, sometimes looking at his notes, sometimes going over her own. Rex thinks the Council mostly only asks for her opinion because she’d asked to be included in the search, although there is some value in the fact that Ahsoka and Naas are friends, and that Ahsoka has at least  _ seen  _ the Sith Lord. Most of the Council apparently can’t claim that dubious honor.

Ahsoka’s wristcomm crackles into sound, carrying the polite voice of General Mundi.  _ “Knight Tano, come in please.” _

“I’m here,” Ahsoka says, setting aside her datapad and rolling her shoulders. Rex pauses what he’s doing, as well.

_ “The Council is requesting your presence, Knight Tano. We would also like to speak with your Master and with Commander Rex, if you could inform them, please.” _

“Okay. On our way, Master,” Ahsoka says, turning off her wristcomm.

“I hope that’s news about Naas,” Rex says, tiredly.  _ “Actual  _ news, not more of this ‘we might have a lead’ banthashit.”

“You and me both,” Ahsoka says, shaking her head and getting to her feet. Rex follows suit, buckling on the few pieces of armor that he’d taken off. He really needs to get a new helmet - he’s pissed about losing the other. He’d modified his new Phase 2 helmet, fused it with a Phase 1, and it’ll take some work to find an old Phase 1 bucket so he can make a new one. That or he has to go through requisition orders, which get tricky, especially when he’s asking for specific mods.

They have to wake up Anakin, which Rex regrets - he’s only been sleeping for about an hour, and he really hasn’t been resting enough lately. But they’re at too much of a crucial stage to ignore summons from the Jedi Council, so Rex lets Ahsoka lean over and shake Anakin’s shoulder until the General grumbles and sharply swats at her hand.

“Go  _ away,”  _ he growls, and Rex can’t help but chuckle.

“The Council needs us, Master,” Ahsoka says, smiling a bit.

“Tell the Council they can go kriff themselves.” Anakin doesn’t even bother opening his eyes.

“Sir,” Rex says, wryly, “I think it’s important.”

“They  _ always  _ think it’s important.”

“Yeah, and lately they’re usually right,” Rex points out.

Anakin swears for a minute, mumbling, then drags his eyes open to glare at them and shove a blanket off him, sitting up with a violent movement like he wants them to be  _ very  _ clear that he’s doing this under protest. He stuffs his feet into his boots, eyeing the blanket with a slight frown. “Who gave me that?”

“I don’t know,” Rex says, bemused.

“Ah, who gives a shit.” Anakin gets to his feet with a little more Huttese swearing, rubbing his eyes. “Let’s go see the Council.”

Ahsoka nods, and Rex shakes his head with a small huff of laughter, and they walk together from the barracks outside to go to the Temple and see what the Council wants.

~~~

When she walks into the Council chambers, the first thing Ahsoka notices is that all the Councillors are present, whether as holos or in person - the second is that Mace Windu looks deep in thought, and _ concerned. _

“Knight Tano, Knight Skywalker, Commander Rex,” he says, nodding at each of them. “Thank you for coming. The Council has received some… disturbing news we wished to speak with you about.”

“So this isn't about Naas?” Ahsoka asks, shifting a bit and frowning. She'd hoped, almost _ desperately, _ for news - but instead, this almost seems like the prelude to a mission.

“No, Knight Tano. This is about you… and your attachment to your Commander.”


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this house we give everybody mostly happy endings (like look Revenge of the Sith ain't bad but it's too sad, ya feel?)
> 
> we aren't done yet but like just hold onto your seats now please

_ Shit. _ Kriffing- how could they have known? She swallows _ hard, _ can't look at anyone, has to take a deep breath. Maybe, if they deny it, this will be fine - but _ how? _ How could the _ Council _ have found out? (She can't let herself consider what they'll do to her, to Rex, for this.) She doesn't know how they- who would've _ told? _

_ Oh yes, and I think I mentioned something about your padawan spending so much time with the Captain. _

Oh no. Oh hells.

“Who told you this? Where did you get that information from?” Anakin's voice is taut, practically _ bleeding _ fear and desperation.

“We received word from Chancellor Palpatine himself,” Windu says, sounds confused.

It feels like the floor is just _ gone. _

Dropped out from under her feet, or maybe like it was never there at all, she doesn't know. She remembers Palpatine calling her to his office, ostensibly because he was concerned for Anakin - and it'd been not long after that that the Council had learned about Mortis. And the Son-

“We need to know if these allegations are true,” Master Mundi says, and Ahsoka closes her eyes.

“Sure,” she says, carefully. “But first - was it the Chancellor who told you about Tatooine and Mortis?”

“Tatooine, yes, but I hardly see how that's _ relevant,” _ Windu says sharply, and she turns and looks at Anakin.

“Anakin-”

“I remember, Snips. Masters, I- you know I trust the Chancellor, but we have it on very good authority that this is- the Sith Lord was given all this information.” Anakin shifts, says, slowly, “I think- pardon me if I'm wrong, Masters, but I feel like the possibility of the _ Chancellor _ being the Sith Lord is slightly more pressing than rumors of attachment.”

~~~

A report on Rex and Ahsoka's relationship does not  _ necessarily _ mean Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith. His having told the Council about Tatooine is damning, but Rex still hopes it’s some wild coincidence, because the  _ Chancellor _ being a Sith - the complications, the  _ meaning  _ of that would be too much.

“I’m going to need a better explanation than that,” General Windu snaps, hard-edged. “Tell us, clearly, exactly why you’re claiming  _ Chancellor Palpatine  _ is the Sith Lord.”

Anakin shifts, jaw tightening, and says, “Because the Chancellor knew about the Tuskens,” which means Anakin had probably  _ told  _ him, “and when the Son possessed Ahsoka, he informed me that the reason you found out about Mortis is because he was in contact with the Sith Lord. When I pressed him for more information, he also said he’d told the Sith Lord that Rex and Ahsoka spend a lot of time together.”

Rex would still prefer that they keep  _ that  _ bit of all this quiet.

Ahsoka, somewhat fidgety, adds, “I  _ was _ summoned to speak to the Chancellor privately just a couple days before you learned about the events of Mortis.”

The Council is, for once, still and quiet enough that Rex almost thinks they’ve been turned to stone.

Anakin frowns, glancing over at Ahsoka. “Why?” he asks, shortly.

“He  _ claimed  _ he was concerned about you, and wanted me to keep and eye on you, said that you felt dangerous while killing Dooku, apparently.”

General Windu’s gaze sharpens, but he just sighs and steeples his fingers against his chin, frowning. “This…” He stops, and looks to Master Yoda, whose strange little face Rex can’t read at all.

“The Chancellor had…” Rex stops, feeling cold, suddenly. “When Ahsoka was accused of bombing the Temple, he wanted to talk to Naas about her. And I think there were several other times they talked.” Hells. He’d told Naas he didn’t think he should talk to the Chancellor but he’d never- He should have known, it hadn’t made any sense to him that the Chancellor wanted to talk to Naas anyway.

“Did he ever say what they talked about?” General Windu asks, quickly, and Rex shrugs uncomfortably. He should have  _ known. _

“Not to me. Not really. Naas just said he was ‘nice,’ apparently.”

There’s a bit of murmuring at that, and more concern, but if Rex himself is feeling reluctant to actually believe that  _ Palpatine  _ is a  _ Sith,  _ he imagines it’s more difficult for the Councillors.

“He’s the one who called Anakin and I back from Umbara, letting Krell take over,” Ahsoka says, slowly, and Rex stiffens. “Wasn’t Krell supposed to wipe out our battalion as a test to prove himself to Sidious?”

“Yes,” Rex says, “that’s what he said.”

Ahsoka frowns. “I remember I didn’t understand why he needed  _ us  _ off the front lines for a kriffing bounty hunter.”

“And a crime boss,” Anakin adds, a bit automatically. Rex can practically see him turning things over in his head, trying to process all of it.

If the Supreme Chancellor is an enemy after all, the one they’ve been  _ looking for,  _ then what? Rex doesn’t even  _ know. _ He’s not sure what all it even means, if they find “the Sith Lord.” All he knows about the Sith is that he exists, that he took Naas, that he keeps hurting them and that the Jedi have wanted to find him.

“We never did discover who was ultimately responsible for the inhibitor biochips we removed from the clones,” General Fisto says, seriously, rubbing his chin.

“I can’t believe we’re seriously considering the Chancellor as a suspect,” General Mundi says - not as though he’s offended, but more as if he genuinely doesn’t understand how this could be a legitimate option.

Rex remembers Ventress saying  _ strange times _ and finds himself wanting to repeat it.

“Disturbing, the possibility is,” Master Yoda says, heavily, seeming very, very old. “But one that, I fear, look into we must.”

“We need to go talk to him,” Anakin snaps, a hint of a growl in his voice.  _ “Now.” _

“Patience, Skywalker,” General Windu said, and it’s a bit telling that Rex is familiar with that tone by now. “If he’s the Sith Master, we can’t risk tipping our hand while we have some kind of advantage.”

“Perhaps there are things that we have overlooked in the past that may prove relevant now,” General Fisto adds. “It would be wise to build a stronger case against the Chancellor - or to find there is no case at all - before we move. Sith or not, I don’t doubt that the Chancellor would not tell the story well, if we seemed to be trying to oppose his government.”

“So we bring Senators as witnesses and go talk to him - we need to know what’s going on before he does more damage,” Anakin says, quickly. “I know Senators Amidala and Organa would come.”

“We will discuss this. I’m not anxious to leave this for much later either,” General Windu says, tiredly. “But if we move in haste we may come to regret it. The Force is clouded, as I see it.”

“Fine,” Anakin growls, “but I’m still going to go talk to him now.”

The Councillors’ facial expressions, human and alien alike, are almost identical: exasperated weariness and resignation. Rex could almost laugh about it. “Please try not to tell him  _ we’re  _ suspicious, at least, Skywalker,” Master Plo says, sounding vaguely amused.

“I'm not going to say a word about  _ you,”  _ Anakin snarls. “I just have a few questions to ask my  _ friend.” _

Rex doesn't like how his General looks, has never trusted the kind of anger that makes Anakin want to break things. “Sir, if you're doing that, I'm coming with you,” he says.

“Me too,” Ahsoka says, determinedly.

“Actually,” and Rex decides he doesn’t like that word, especially when a Councillor is saying it (in this case, General Fisto), “it would be better if you two would focus your efforts on finding your Ustura friend. If we are going to be threatening the Sith who took him, it would be wise of us to secure Naas first, so he can’t use him against us.”

Rex hesitates. If they assume the Chancellor is the Sith Lord, as now seems the most likely, they can narrow their search so much, can get more specific, and he doesn’t want his  _ vod’ika  _ anywhere near the Sith when they try to bring him down. But he’s worried, too, about Anakin, about Chancellor Palpatine, about his General risking too much because he’s furious. But his  _ vod’ika  _ needs him more, he thinks, right now, and whatever else, Anakin hasn’t let him down before (except once, but everything that happened on Mortis feels like something  _ else,  _ and Rex long ago decided he couldn’t hold that against Anakin) and Rex thinks he’ll be alright, and safe.

If not, if it goes wrong and Palpatine  _ is  _ the Sith, then Rex is pretty sure Anakin can comm them and hold out until they get there. So.

“Alright,” he says, inclining his head.

“You’re right,” Ahsoka says, also. “Just don’t kriff this up, Master,” she says to Anakin, who scowls.

“I won’t.” He doesn’t exactly sound convincing. Rex just wants him to be careful, so when the Council excuses him and they’re leaving the room, he grips Anakin’s shoulder and shakes his head at his General.

“Just be careful, would you, sir?”

“Now come on, Rex, when have you known me to  _ not  _ be careful?” Anakin says, glancing back at him quickly with a smirk.

Rex reaches out and grabs his arm. “Hang on, sir. I mean it, don’t- well, don’t get killed or anything like that.” Just in case.

“Don’t worry, Rex. I’ll have my comm on me, and if I piss him off enough that he attacks me - assuming he  _ is  _ the Sith Lord - I’ll call for backup. I’m good enough to hold anyone off for at  _ least  _ a few minutes.”

“I know,” Rex says, smiling slightly and letting go of his arm. “See you later, then, General.”

“Sure, Rex,” Anakin huffs, and hurries off down the hall.

Rex still has a bad feeling about this.

~~~

Anakin snags a cloak from his room in the Temple before he leaves, grabs a speeder and hops on and makes for the Senate building, and the Chancellor's office.

Palpatine was, or so Anakin had _ thought, _ one of his closest friends, someone he could _ trust. _ A good man, he'd repeatedly told Obi-Wan, even when his Master was too suspicious to listen.

But what if he's _ wrong? _ What if, this whole time, it's been _ Palpatine _ who they've been looking for, and that supposed ‘good man’ who's been the greatest evil in the galaxy for decades?

First things first, he supposes he'll owe Obi-Wan an apology.

He hopes Rex and Ahsoka can find Naas, and _ soon. _

Anakin walks into Palpatine's office, tense and careful, hand near his saber almost on instinct. If he's right, he's standing in the same room as the most dangerous man in the galaxy.

Kriffing _ hells. _

“Anakin, my boy, it's good to see you,” Palpatine says, cheerful, smiling the same old smile - is it his imagination, or is there something sinister behind it now? “I wasn't expecting you today.”

“You've always said I could come speak to you whenever I wanted,” Anakin says, mildly, tucking his hands into his sleeves with an effort.

“So I have. What is it you need, my dear boy?”

“You told the Council about the Tuskens,” Anakin says, low, and something flickers very fast through the blue eyes. “Why? I thought I could _ trust _ you.”

“Anakin, I have been so _ worried _ about you,” he says, earnest, crossing the room to stand just a meter or two away. “I've sensed a change in you, since your young padawan's Knighting, and I approached the Council in the hopes they could aid you where I could not.”

“Well, it's made my life _ hell,” _ Anakin snaps, gritting his teeth - takes a slow breath in, mastering himself. “How did you know about Rex and Ahsoka, and why tell the Council?”

“My, you're full of questions tonight. Why, I almost feel like I'm being interrogated!” Palpatine laughs, but his eyes are guarded. “I jest, of course. My dear boy, anyone who is at all observant can see the ties between young Ahsoka and her clone Commander from a parsec away. And I would think you'd approve of that action - their relationship breaks _ multiple _ rules, both of the Jedi and the Grand Army of the Republic. You must realize I cannot make exceptions, Anakin.”

“You've never said a word about Padmè,” Anakin argues, trying to hold on to his anger. He  _ can't _ trust these answers, as much as he'd like to.

“Of course not. If you were to be expelled from the Order, how could you be the eyes and ears of the Republic among the Jedi? Besides, we are _ friends, _ Anakin, and Padmè is my friend as well - I would never betray you.”

Somehow, he can't quite make himself trust those honeyed words, the smile oozing sincerity. The eyes are too cold, Anakin thinks.

How did he not notice this before?

He decides to leave the point alone, though, just moves on. “And Naas?” Palpatine's eyes _ sharpen, _ and Anakin has to work to pretend he doesn't see. “Why spend so much time alone with him?”

“When I first looked upon Naas, I saw a frightened young boy, alone with no one to guide him - much as you were, when you first arrived here. I sought only to protect and mentor him, as I did for you, Anakin.” Palpatine looks worried, but not like he's concerned. Anakin doesn't quite understand it, but it makes him wary.

The answer doesn't make total sense. The Force feels _ Dark, _ heavy and warning. “Alright then, Umbara,” Anakin says. “Why'd you call Ahsoka and I off the front lines? Your call made it possible for _ Krell _ to take over-”

_ “Anakin,” _ Palpatine interrupts, almost warningly, “are you suggesting I deliberately worked towards the destruction of your battalion?”

“No,” Anakin says quickly. It's not entirely a lie.

Palpatine frowns. “Never try to lie to a politician, my boy. I must know - who put the dreadful idea in your head that I mean you harm?”

“No one,” Anakin says, and this time it's not a lie at all.

“Hmm.” The Chancellor considers, for a moment, then says, “In any case, I called you back because my life was on the line and you are the strongest Jedi, the only one I trust to protect me. I was under the impression your battalion could manage.”

“They did,” Anakin says, “but they shouldn't have _ had _ to.” He shakes his head, gritting his teeth. This is going  _ nowhere. _

“My dear boy, you feel  _ angry,” _ Palpatine says, almost gentle. “What's the question you _ really _ want to ask me, the one you've been dancing around all this time?”

Anakin hesitates.

“Go on,” the Chancellor says, smiling just a little.

“Are you a Sith?” He blurts it out, almost without thinking, isn't sure if he's hoping for a yes or a no.

But Palpatine just laughs, softly, an odd expression flitting across his face. “Am I a Sith?” he repeats, seemingly amused. “Not the question I was expecting, but perhaps I should have been. You are more observant than even I had realized.” He smiles, says, very calmly, “Yes, Anakin, I am.”

Everything goes _ cold. _ “I-” Anakin stops, shakes his head. “I have to report you to the Jedi Council.”

“The Council? And what have they ever done for you?” Palpatine shakes his head, sighing. “Oh, Anakin. The Sith and the Jedi are not so different.”

“The Sith draw their power from passion,” Anakin says, and his saber hilt is in his hands before he can think.

But he can't say anything else, because Palpatine is laughing again. “No, my dear boy - we gain power from our _ emotions, _ just like you. From pain, from anger, from fear… from love…” and he _ smiles. _ “What is it the Jedi are always telling you to do?”

And Anakin answers, almost numb. “To let go of my attachments,” he says. “To release my emotions into the Force.” And he's _ never _ been able to do it.

“Very good, Anakin.” Quite suddenly, Palpatine reminds him of a teacher praising a favorite student. Somehow that makes everything worse. “It is no secret to either of us that you have always struggled with _ letting go. _ Anakin, son, you are more like a Sith than you are a Jedi. That is why the Council doesn't trust you, why they _ fear _ you - and your power.”

No.  _ No! _ That can't be true. “You're wrong,” he says, desperate, but-

_ The boy is dangerous, Master. They all see it, why can't you? _

“Am I?”

Anakin shakes his head, numb.

“Go, my boy, think about what you've learned. Turn me in to the Council if you must - but think about what I told you.”

A better Sith than Jedi.

_ No. _

He needs to talk to Obi-Wan.

~~~

Obi-Wan is trying to sleep.

_ Trying _ being the operative word - something feels  _ not-right  _ in the Force, and despite the fact that he knows he should ignore it and just rest, because there’s nothing he can do about whatever is wrong this time (because something  _ is _ wrong, he knows), he just can’t make himself do it.

That turns out to be better, after all - he feels Anakin’s Force signature, burning with confusion and anger and worry, long before the door to his room actually bursts open and Anakin skids in, panting, eyes wide, and Obi-Wan grits his teeth and pushes himself upright, drawing on the Force enough to steady himself so it doesn’t hurt so much until he’s sitting.

“Master,” Anakin says, anxious, “Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord-” what the  _ hells- _ “and he says I’m more like a Sith than a Jedi because I’m too emotional, and that’s why the Council doesn’t trust me, and that they’re  _ afraid  _ of me because of it. And I think he wants me to join him.” He’s got his fingers tangled in his hair, and Obi wants to tell him to  _ sit down _ and breathe. “Oh, and he told the Council about Rex and Ahsoka.”

Just what they needed, apparently.

“And would you  _ lay down?”  _ Anakin adds, focusing, and Obi snorts.

“If you would  _ sit  _ down, Anakin, and explain what you mean,” Obi says, seriously, smiling just a little, although he’s  _ concerned. _ “I seem to have missed a great deal.”

“Yeah,” Anakin huffs, impatient, but he does grab a chair and drag it over by Obi’s bunk, dropping down to sit on the edge of it. “The Chancellor  _ told me  _ he was a Sith, Master, when I asked him. He said- he said Sith draw power from their emotions so I’m more like a Sith than a Jedi.”

“I see.” Obi-Wan has no idea how any of this was a conversation, to begin with, but he thinks he’d better figure that out later. He  _ said  _ he’d lay down, but he hardly feels like it now, so he tucks the blankets closer to himself and leans forward a bit so he can rest his arms on his knees.

Anakin, tapping his foot quickly, restless, blurts, “I don’t want to be a Sith, Obi-Wan.”

“Well, you should be alright, then,” Obi says, lightly, smiling a bit, but he doesn’t get a response from Anakin other than a grimace. “Anakin, you’re not a  _ Sith,”  _ Obi-Wan says, more seriously, reaching for the Light because he hurts and because Anakin feels like chaos and exhaustion. “Tell me you haven’t forgotten your Initiate lessons already.”

“But I’m- I can’t release my emotions like I’m supposed to and the Council is afraid of me and- you even said it yourself, to Master Qui-Gon, that I was dangerous- I don’t want to Fall, Master, I don’t want to be expelled from the Order, I don’t-” Anakin shakes his head, for a moment, automatic, and Obi keeps his eyes trained on his friend’s face, since he can’t reach out to him without  _ really  _ being stupid.

He remembers the conversation Anakin’s talking about, telling Master Qui-Gon that he didn’t think it was a good idea to train little Ani with his floppy blond hair. Master Qui-Gon had always seen things in people that Obi didn’t understand - Obi-Wan hopes he’s become half as compassionate as his Master was. Whether he has or not, however, Obi is no longer a nervous padawan (has not been for a long time), so he folds his hands and says, gently, “Anakin, I don’t believe you’re going to fall. I certainly don’t think you’re dangerous - at least not the way you mean.” He smiles a bit. “Reckless, certainly, and a bit prone to anger, but not dangerous. And not an unsuspecting Sith.”

Anakin rubs his forehead with one hand, and Obi can see he’s shaking a bit. “He wants me to join him, Master. He’s- He knew what to say, he knows so much about me, I can’t-” He stops, closes his eyes, and his jaw shifts. “I’m afraid.”

Obi-Wan frowns a bit. “Well, do you  _ want  _ to join him?”

“No!” Anakin says, quickly. “No, I just want him to stop- I want him  _ gone,  _ Obi-Wan.”

“I think we can probably manage that,” Obi says, gently, although in actuality this is probably going to be a  _ nightmare _ \- so much for convalescing. “You certainly aren’t expected to deal with him by yourself.”

“The Council knows I went to talk to him,” Anakin says, uncertainly, twisting his hands together. “I need- I need to talk to them. Will you come with me?”

Obi-Wan can feel he’s nervous, so with a glance down at his torso (he shouldn’t have sat up, but considering what’s going on it doesn’t seem like a very big deal), he nods. “Certainly. If you wouldn’t mind getting the medics, that is - and perhaps you had better comm Ahsoka.” Obi-Wan thinks it would be better to have Ahsoka and Rex to help with this, too, as he is,  _ of course,  _ still bound to a chair if not bed.

“I’ll get them,” Anakin says, standing (and clearly glad about it, Obi can tell sitting still was not what he wanted to be doing) and shaking his head. “And that’s a good idea, you’re right.”

“I do try,” Obi answers, smiling. He thinks he’ll need more pain meds before they go anywhere, especially the Council chambers. But that’s not really his greatest concern, at the moment. Chancellor Palpatine, a Sith.  _ The _ Sith, perhaps, although Anakin was not terribly clear. Obi has never been fond of the man, or his friendship with Anakin, but this is something else entirely. He is tired, but he still spends a moment trying to untangle what that would even  _ mean. _ At the moment, he’s most worried about just how  _ much  _ Anakin has trusted him - Obi wishes they had time to properly discuss this.

But of course, time is not a luxury he has ever had, so he will save his questions for later.

~~~

Anakin's comm asking Ahsoka and Rex to meet him in the Council chambers again is fumbling and hard to make sense of, but from it Ahsoka can gather that Anakin went and confronted the Chancellor and that it didn't go well. Or maybe it did, she doesn't know - he's not being very clear.

Either way, he needs her and Rex, so she reluctantly leaves behind their investigation and heads for the Council room, Rex next to her. She has to fight to keep from grabbing his hand - the Council has left that issue alone for now, but she really doesn't want to bring it up again.

When they get to the Council room, the first thing she notices is that Anakin's brought Obi-Wan in, bundled up in blankets and sitting in a wheelchair, tired but focused; the second thing is Anakin's _ anxiety. _

He doesn't look very good, pacing back and forth with one hand tangled in his hair, his cloak swirling behind him.

“Are you alright, Master?” Ahsoka asks, and Anakin spins to face her, briefly, then walks over to stand by her and Rex, facing the Council.

“Chancellor Palpatine is the Sith Lord,” he says, quietly, pulling his hand out of his hair and curling his fingers into his cloak. “He admitted it to me - I think he wants me to join him, but  _ I won't.” _

Ahsoka swallows, hard. The Chancellor, the Sith Master they've been looking for for thirteen years? How could they have _ missed _ that? “Then we need to go after him now,” she says, hands going to her saber hilts.

“Agreed,” Mace Windu says, though he looks thoughtful. “But we must move carefully - we should have a few Senators come as witnesses. We don't want to seem to be taking over the Senate for ourselves.”

“Rex,” Anakin says, “put together a squad or two and bring them as backup - we can't let him escape.”

“Yes, sir,” Rex says, saluting, and he turns on his heel and leaves the Council room behind.

Ahsoka doesn't think Rex is very eager to do this, but she doesn't really blame him.

“Skywalker,” Windu starts, “you and Ahsoka should stay here-”

He gets two simultaneous  _ no!'s _ from the both of them.

“You need me,” Anakin says, “and he was _ my friend, _ I can't- I need to be there.”

“And I'm not letting him go without me.”

“It's decided, then,” Windu says tiredly. “The Council will move against Chancellor Palpatine. Skywalker, you and Ahsoka go help your Commander. Meet us outside the Senate building. We will take care of finding Senator witnesses.”

“Understood,” Anakin says. He bows, and so does Ahsoka, and then together they leave the Council room behind.

~~~

Rex doesn’t think he should bring brothers to confront the Chancellor. He’s going to go himself, there’s no question about that - the Sith took his  _ vod’ika,  _ got his brothers killed on Umbara, made Anakin think he couldn’t trust him, hurt Ahsoka and Je’kai and Kix and Naas, killed Ket, worked with the Son, and Rex is sure there are  _ many  _ other things. But bringing his brothers as back-up to fight a Sith feels like bringing loth-cats as back-up to fight a dire-cat. A really bad idea, that is.

But there don’t seem to be many other options, so he comms Cody to put his battalion on standby and come join him (doesn’t say why; he’s not even sure yet he wants to ask Cody to come), and then he gathers what’s left of Torrent and another company of troopers.

“I need two squads of volunteers to come with me,” he says, tired but firm. “The Jedi Council and some of the Senators are arresting Chancellor Palpatine for treason.” Which doesn’t even begin to cover it, but he signals  _ silence  _ when his  _ vode  _ start muttering. “I’m not explaining all of it right now, we don’t have time, but they’ve discovered that the Chancellor is the Sith that took Naas and hurt General Tano and Kix, so that’s what we’d be dealing with.” Another karking Force user. Because the Force apparently  _ hates  _ Rex.

“I’m coming,” Jesse growls.

“So are we,” Atlas says, smacking Dip in the shoulder, who nods. “That bastard killed Ket.”

Brii says he wants to go, but Rex won’t let him - he still ends up with every remaining member of Torrent Company, and the remaining members that make up two full squads, and he has to turn down some other volunteers. It is not a gratifying thing, that they all want to come, although on some level he knows this is why he loves these men. It’s simply that he is afraid he’s going to lose these ones, too.

When Cody comes to the barracks, at a run, kitted up and with his blaster out (good old dependable Cody), Rex explains what he’s doing, what’s going on, and he wishes he wasn’t so relieved when Cody growls out that he’s coming too.

“Cody, you should stay,” Rex says, doesn't mean it.

“Not happening,” Cody snaps. So Rex just hugs him, instead, holding on so, so tight. He will not lose this brother, not this time. These  _ vode _ are  _ his, _ and if he can’t do anything else he will at least fight for them.

He has lost enough because of this Sith, because of this war, and he is done pretending it is alright.

“Hey, easy,  _ vod’ika,” _ Cody says, and Rex realizes he’s shaking, although it’s only from anger and adrenaline. “You’ll be okay.”

“I know,” Rex almost growls. “They’re going to try to arrest him, Cody. But I want to kill him.”

Cody huffs a humorless laugh, sharp and bitter. “If there’s a fight, and a stray blaster shot takes him out, I don’t think anyone will question it,  _ ner’vod.” _

“I know,” Rex repeats. If they do not kill the Chancellor in the battle, Rex thinks he can easily find his cell, afterward.

A blaster bolt can kill a Sith as well as anything else, provided it gets a chance to hit home, and a Sith secure in a cell can only fight so much without a saber and without the Force.

So, if the Jedi and the Senate do not take care of the Sith, then Rex will, because he is done being careful when his brothers are the ones who will pay, in the end. No more of that. If no one else will put his  _ vode _ first, then he will.

~~~

Once the shock fades, some, what Ahsoka is left with is _ anger. _

It's deep and burning, the result of so many dead men she couldn't save, of all the battles they thought _ meant something _ (when really, if the leaders of both sides of this war were Sith then there was no point to this war, none at all), all the lost Jedi, all the planets burned. All the destruction and death, and what for?

For a _ Sith Lord. _

She and Anakin get to the barracks quickly, Anakin still wearing his cloak, the black edges of it swirling behind him. With the fierce expression on his face, the black clothes, the way his hand is tense by his saber hilt… she thinks Palpatine (or should she call him Darth Sidious?) should run in terror. Rex is waiting with a double squad and Cody, helmetless, which reminds her that she should see about requisitioning a new one for him. He nods once when she and Anakin walk up.

There's a moment of silence, then Oddball flies their transport over, and they all climb on. Everything is just still,  _ angry. _

Palpatine won't know what's hit him.

“He's too dangerous to leave alive,” she tells Anakin, quietly, and he nods.

“You and I both know that, but I don't know if the Council will agree.” He clenches his mech hand into a fist. “But he _ will _ pay for everything he's done.”

She decides not to mention the fact that she can still feel seething anxiety across the training bond.

It's a short ride to the Senate building; after her and Anakin's brief conversation, no one else speaks, although she reaches over and takes Rex's hand, holds on tight for a minute. It's reassuring. Then they land and she lets go, because the Council _ can't _ be reminded of that little tidbit of information that had sparked this whole thing, and they're all standing in a rough, loose semicircle outside the entrance to the great dome. The shocktroopers look at them, then step aside, at least, even though it's _ obvious _ this isn't a social call.

Mace Windu and Yoda stride for the doors, the rest of the Council falling in behind, Anakin and Ahsoka with them, and Rex and Cody and the squads in behind _ them, _ and just inside the doors they pause because there's four Senators waiting.

Padmè, Bail Organa, and Orn Free Ta, Ahsoka recognizes, but she doesn't know the tall, sour-faced Kaminoan who looks like she'd rather be _ anywhere _ but here.

“This is Senator Burtoni,” Padmè says, lightly, and Ahsoka nods a bit.

“Hurry, we must, before the chicken flies the coop,” Yoda says, tapping his gimer stick against the floor, and then the whole group starts moving again.

Somehow, Ahsoka doesn't think Palpatine will run. Not now.

Not without Anakin.

~~~

The shocktroopers outside the Chancellor’s office don’t even try to stop them from coming in - there would be no point. Rex has his squads close up in a defensive formation around the Senators as Master Yoda waves his hand and opens the door (and Rex thinks he hasn’t seen the small Master ever look this  _ angry), _ and Anakin shoulders his way forward to walk in almost before General Windu and Master Yoda themselves.

The Chancellor is standing with his back to them, hands folded neatly behind his back, the sun turning his velveteen maroon robe to scarlet. And Naas is sitting hunched over in a chair, beside the Chancellor’s desk, in just his blacks, looking burnt and pale and sick - when they walk in, his eyes lock on Rex and Rex can see the plea for help in them.

“Anakin, my dear boy, I must admit I’m very disappointed,” Palpatine says, wearily, his voice dipping low and regretful. He turns, slowly, and Rex signals his men to cover either side of the room - Cody takes polite charge of the Senators.

Rex keeps his eyes on Naas, because before they can do  _ anything, _ they have to get his  _ vod’ika _ away from the Chancellor.

“So am I,” Anakin growls.

“Chancellor,” General Windu says, determined, voice firm and ringing, “based on the testimony of Knight Skywalker and your own confession, you are under arrest for treason against the Republic and for being the Master of the Sith.”

“Are you  _ threatening  _ me, Master Jedi?” the Chancellor asks, smooth, unruffled, his hands still comfortably clasped behind him. His eyes flick to Anakin, thoughtful, then Master Yoda and Ahsoka and the Senators. “Is this an execution force?”

“The Senate will decide your fate,” General Windu says, his voice hard and unyielding as durasteel.

Rex tightens his hands on his blasters. They are not set to stun. He, at least, does not plan to allow the  _ Senate _ to decide. Not that he would say as much.

“I am the Senate,” Chancellor Palpatine bites out, suddenly icy cold.

He draws himself up, imperious, but it’s Senator Organa who answers him, face expressionless. “Not yet.”

Palpatine hums, half a smile twisting his lips. “It’s treason, then,” he says, as if daring them to deny it. He walks calmly over to Naas, settling his hand on Rex’s  _ vod’s _ shoulder (and Rex feels all his  _ vode _ tense, knows they feel the same way he does, that he  _ cannot  _ touch their brother), and Naas flinches. The Councillors put their hands to their sabers, but they are held back by the same thing that holds Rex and his men dead still: they cannot risk anything happening to Naas. “I admit I  _ have _ always been curious to discover if it was possible to make an Ustura break, under the right conditions. Haven’t you?”

“Step away from him,” Anakin growls, although Rex thinks his General is still  _ anxious. _

Palpatine smiles, shaking his head disapprovingly. “Why, my boy? So you can control him again? Don’t expect him to believe you have his best interests at heart - I’m afraid all of you simply want to contain him.”

Naas shoots a look at Rex, panicked, questioning, and Rex shakes his head minutely. Naas swallows, then nods a bit, and the Chancellor’s sharp gaze shifts from Anakin to Rex and his men, and his smile twists into something mocking. “Naas, child, do you really think you can trust  _ them, _ either?” He reaches into his robes and all of them, at once, tense, and Anakin  _ swears, _ but all he pulls out is a plastoid pauldron, familiarly painted with a loth-cat. Brii’s oh-so-subtle promise of protection, and  _ not the Sith’s to touch. _ “Child, understand, this token,” and he levitates the pauldron into the air, in front of Naas, staying slightly behind him so no one wants to risk attacking, “is only that. A gesture. It is  _ paint, _ Naas. They’re lying to you - it means little.”

There is anger building and ebbing hot and liquid in Rex’s chest, pushing him to  _ do something, _ but whatever else he will not risk the Sith hurting his  _ vod’ika, _ but this, their armor, their protection, it is not his to take.

Naas shakes his head, sharply, looking over at Rex again and then at Anakin and Ahsoka. He doesn’t say anything, but Rex thinks anybody could see that he doesn’t believe the Chancellor. Painted armor is not a lie that any good  _ vod _ would tell, much less one like Brii.

The Sith sighs, and twists his hand, and the pauldron  _ snaps  _ in half, clatters to the floor, and Naas makes a small, broken sound like a wounded animal and lunges forward to grab the pieces and Rex stops  _ thinking. _

He does not know what he shouts, or what his men answer with, or what Cody says or what the Council does, he only knows that this is  _ too much, _ that they will take no more of this and the Chancellor has  _ made a mistake, _ and Anakin’s saber is humming and he and his  _ vode _ bring their blasters up and  _ fire _ and they could have killed him.

But the Chancellor flings his hands up and the blaster bolts  _ freeze. _

And he smiles but suddenly staggers, off-balance, nearly falls back from the strength of what Rex realizes is a Force shove, and the blaster bolts slam through the window, and Ahsoka  _ runs,  _ grabs Naas by the arm and pulls him off his chair and away as Palpatine recovers his balance. Rex grabs Naas from Ahsoka, gets his arms around him and says, “I have you,  _ ner’vod’ika,”  _ as Palpatine snarls and there is a  _ push _ and most of Rex’s men are throw back from the force of it.

Rex manages to avoid falling, just hangs onto Naas and goes to his knees, hard, nearly dropping his blasters. Then he’s pushing Naas behind him and his  _ vode _ are getting up and the Councillors have their sabers and some of his  _ vode  _ grab Naas and the Senators to get them out of the way and then, then, then he can look straight at the Sith and  _ smile, _ dangerous, angry.

Today is the day he stops hurting Rex’s brothers.


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tadaaa we're back!
> 
> It's now time for clone rights, working through all the bad things we did to the kids, and *gasp* a happy ending??

The  _ instant _ Naas is safe and away from Palpatine, Anakin charges forward, saber raised - he only gets a couple steps towards Palpatine before the Sith _ leaps _ through the air, corkscrewing in a spin, a vivid red saber humming to harsh life in one hand. He lands and _ moves _ and his saber flashes and Master Eeth Koth falls, a hole caving in his chest, and Anakin lunges forward again, brings his own blue saber down, only for Palpatine to block _ easily, _ just a twist of his wrist, and sweep his red blade and Master Tiin falls. Yoda leaps forward, and Windu, and Anakin too - the others mostly stay back by the men and the Senators and the doors, creating a perimeter.

Ki-Adi-Mundi, though, goes with them. And it's while Anakin is struggling to block a violent blue stream of lightning and Yoda is on the floor, gasping and pained from a hit directly to the heart with the raw electricity, and Windu is staggering back from a powerful blow, that the Sith twirls his saber so, so smooth and in one fluid motion severs Master Mundi's head.

No.  _ No, _ he's going to- how can he be this  _ good? _

Somehow, Palpatine maneuvers so Anakin's strike connects with an amethyst blade instead of crimson, giving the Chancellor time to exchange a series of blows with Yoda, too fast to discern anything beyond a blur of intertwined red and green.

Anakin sucks in a deep, desperate breath and flings himself back into the fight.

One, two, three, four blows with the Chancellor and his saber is yanked away, twisted into the corners of the room, forcing him to retreat, to let the others take the brunt of the Sith's attacks while he calls his saber back to him, ignites it again, and then there's-

Anakin doesn't know how it happens, but a _ wave _ of Force sends him careening into Windu, unable to _ breathe, _ even, and when he opens his eyes-

When he opens his eyes, he sees Palpatine standing in the middle of the room with his saber humming lurid red, like fresh blood, the glow staining Padmè’s neck.

_ No! _

Anakin _ freezes. _

“Join me, Anakin, or she dies,” Palpatine says, rough and sharp, and oh _ hells, _ oh Force, no he can't- Anakin shakes his head _ hard, _ lowers his saber a bit on instinct, takes a step forward.

Padmè locks eyes with him.

And his beloved wife is not scared, is not pleading - instead, she is durasteel and adamant, and her hand is twitching towards her hidden blaster. Her blaster!

He is _ sick, _ but he _ cannot, will not _ join Palpatine, and she- she can handle herself, he has to trust that, trust _ her, _ he-

But oh _ Force _ he cannot lose her.

Padmè shifts, just a bit, and suddenly her foot comes down _ hard _ on Palpatine's, and she elbows his side and twists away, out from underneath the arm in its heavy velvet, and her small, sleek blaster is in her hands, her fingers on the trigger, and Anakin _ lunges _ because Palpatine is still too close. He shoves between the Sith and his wife, dimly registers movement somewhere, but he can't look away from those live-wire gold eyes.

Then the staredown is broken by Windu and Yoda and Plo leaping in again, and Anakin quickly turns to Padmè. “Are you alright?”

“I'm fine, Ani,” she says. “They need your help.”

Almost as soon as the words leave her mouth, Anakin hears a harsh cry, turns to see Windu on his knees, clutching at his weaker shoulder, the one injured in the bombing - now burning, a wide, blackened stripe across the top showing where Palpatine's saber landed. Plo is struggling to hold back a blast of lightning, and Yoda is bouncing off the walls (like always), saber flashing, unable to get past Palpatine's guard.

She's right. They need him.

So Anakin pulls away from Padmè, takes a deep breath. The Chosen One, they've always said, destined to destroy the Sith - he's doing a pretty poor job of that right now. But there is a _ well _ of strength within him, that same power he tapped on Mortis, to control the Son and the Daughter. It hums at him now, and he opens himself to it, feels the full weight and ancientness of the Force against his thoughts, and everything goes underwater-slow, like he's shouting up from the bottom of a deep well, and _ something _ with a will that is not entirely his own says,  _ “Your rule is at an end, Darth Sidious.” _

There's so much _ light _ in this room, fiery stars gleaming in the fabric of the Force, and there is more than enough to overcome the pitch blackness in front of him. Anakin pulls on that Light, layers it around him like a second cloak, and it's so _ easy, _ suddenly, to deflect Palpatine's blows, to shift and counter and twist out of the way. He hears, faintly, blasterfire -  one bolt hits Palpatine's hip, another his shoulder, and the Sith  _ stumbles, _ and Anakin closes his eyes.

Breathes: in and out.

And it is the Force that guides his hand, the Force that brings his blue lightsaber to connect with Palpatine's neck.

He opens his eyes, and they are all _ staring  _ at him, him and his saber, the way he's still poised in his follow-through, and Palpatine's body crumples to the ground.

Dead.

He's dead.

Anakin doesn't even know what to _ think. _

~~~

Rex half-expects the Sith to still get back up, after Anakin removes his head, but of course there is no movement from the robed form on the floor, and Anakin straightens up and methodically, neatly turns off his saber and clips it to his belt under his cloak. Rex holsters his blasters, and only then do his  _ vode _ also put away their weapons.

Anakin turns to look at everyone and Rex thinks he seems uncertain, anxious, and there's something twisting his mouth a little, like sorrow, so Rex doesn't think about it, he just hurries over to his General and grabs him into a hug. Anakin makes a small noise of surprise, but then he hugs Rex back and Rex chuckles a bit, anger still thrumming hot through his veins. “You did it,  _ vod,” _ he says, firm and quiet. “Not bad.”

Anakin snorts, laughs just a little, although Rex thinks he's not okay. “I trusted him,” he says, barely a whisper.

“Yeah, I know.” Rex steps back, claps Anakin on the shoulder because they are still in the middle of a slightly important situation, but he'll try to make sure Anakin's alright, later. “Permission to go see to my men, General?” he asks, looking from Anakin to Ahsoka.

“Of course,” Ahsoka says. “I’ll come with you.”

Rex salutes, loosely, has to fight to keep from  _ running _ out of the Council chambers because Naas, his  _ vod’ika. _ Rex doubts he’s okay and he’ll  _ need _ them.

His men hurry after him, Cody falling in next to him, but it’s not until they’re out of the Senate building, getting into their transport, that somebody breaks the silence with an oath, and then they’re suddenly all talking and swearing and cheering in Mando’a. Some of them are injured, and they’re sitting down and dealing with their own wounds for the moment; Cody’s pulled off his helmet and has a stiff hand locked tight around his bracer. Rex stays quiet, just takes it in for a while, reaching over to hold Ahsoka’s hand.

“I can’t believe that just happened,” she says, quietly, shaking her head.

“Yeah, it’s… Yeah,” Rex agrees. He needs to get back to his men. He hopes Naas is managing alright, and  _ Brii _ (his armor, his protection - that is a harsh thing he will have to deal with). But it’s… it’s over, the Chancellor is dead and Rex is somehow sure that with him, the war ends too.

“Are you okay?” she asks him, looks over at him appraisingly.

Rex shrugs. “I don’t know.” He’s still mostly  _ angry, _ doesn’t even know what he thinks about all this yet except that he wants to be with his  _ aliit _ right now.

Ahsoka leans over and hugs him, tight, and Rex kisses one of her montrals. “I want to see Naas,” she says, “but I’m afraid he’ll be scared of me again.”

Rex nods. “I just hope he’s okay.” They made so much progress, he’s worried they’ll have to start all over, or worse.

“Me too.” Ahsoka leaves one arm around him, sighs a bit. “Do you think I should stay out of the barracks?”

“No, hopefully it won’t be that bad,” Rex says.

He doesn’t realize quite how anxious he was that it  _ would _ be that bad until they actually get into the barracks and his  _ vode _ crowd around them all at once, talking so fast and anxious; Rex lets everyone else worry about explaining what’s going on, because he sees Naas sitting on a bunk with Brii and Je’kai - Je’kai’s hugging Naas, tight, and the broken pauldron is in Naas’ lap. Orikih is huddled up against Naas’ stomach, the big blue eyes looking anxious and all her fur puffed up.

Brii is crying, but seems to be trying not to make anyone notice.

Rex hurries over to the bunk, but stops a few feet away, suddenly unsure of himself, because he promised he’d protect Naas and he told him he wouldn’t be taken and then he  _ was. _ “Hey,  _ vod’ika,” _ he says, carefully, forcing a smile.

Naas looks up at him, and over at Ahsoka, then  _ grins _ a little bit. “Hi,” he says. He looks so pale and tired - they should get him to the medbay.

“You okay?” Rex asks, and it’s not a great question but he’s not sure what else to say.

“Yeah.” Naas rubs his eye with one hand, seeming perfectly content to let Je’kai hug him as long as he wants. “‘m fine.”

Ahsoka steps out from where she’s been half behind Rex, and Je’kai sits back, pulls his hands back to his lap. Naas immediately starts petting Orikih, automatic. “Hey, Naas,” Ahsoka says, smiling a bit. “Can I give you a hug?”

“Okay,” Naas says, nodding, so Ahsoka steps forward and bends over to hug him, quickly.

Rex walks the rest of the way over to put a hand on Brii’s shoulder, although his brother doesn’t really seem to want to look at him.  _ “Gar jate, vod’ika?” _ Rex asks, quietly.

Brii shakes his head, but then says, “I’m fine,” so Rex lets it be for now, just squeezes his shoulder and then turns to give Naas a hug like he’s wanted to, also.

“We should get you to the medbay,” he says. “Beten has been missing you.”

Naas nods, his face suddenly twisting with pain and he looks like he wants to cry. “Okay,” he says, more shaky. “Okay. Okay.” His hands stop petting Orikih and go very still in his lap.

~~~

Brii is not fine.

He should be happy -  _ is _ happy, because his _ vod'ika _ is _ safe _ and, and himself? Not dead, and not small like he was after Umbara, so that's good.

But-

The pauldron, the promise of protection, it was useless and now it's _ broken, _ and Brii was not there, not there, not there.

Naas had promised he's okay, when he showed Brii the pieces of the painted brown loth-cat, but all Brii can remember is the way he'd made a promise to himself, silent, that he would  _ never _ let anyone hurt his _ vod'ika _ again. And Naas is _ hurting, _ and Brii wasn't there, didn't do _ anything, _ didn't even help rescue him.

And the Chancellor had- Naas had said that the Force told him the Chancellor liked his painting. Liked it because he could hurt Naas, hurt _ everyone _ with it?

Brii doesn't know.

“Are you gonna come to the medbay with me?” Naas asks, and without ceremony he picks Orikih up (she struggles a little) and plops her into Brii's hands.

Oh.

She's _ soft, _ he'd forgotten how fuzzy she is.

“I- yeah,” Brii stammers, cradling Orikih against his chest and standing up. Je'kai stands too, falls automatically into parade rest - Brii thinks it's because Ahsoka - General Tano - is here.

“I'm coming,” Je'kai says, calmly, even though technically he's still supposed to be _ reconditioned _ and Admiral Lareen would be _ so _ angry and smug if she found him.

No one argues with him. Je'kai is like Commander Cody in a way - he's really grumpy and intimidating, and his _ scar _ \- Brii doesn't argue with either of them. He doesn't have a kriffing _ jaro. _

To Brii's surprise, Commander Rex and the General come too, and Brii (struggling to hold the squirming Orikih) drops back to walk with Rex.  _ “Ori'vod- _ uhh, sir,” he corrects himself, quickly, “thank you for saving my _ vod'ika.” _

Orikih meows, very loudly. Brii thinks she agrees.

~~~

Rex can’t help a small smile at Brii, fond and a bit amused despite himself. “I didn’t do much,” Rex points out, mildly. “Ahsoka’s the one who got him away from the Chancellor.”

“Oh, well,” Brii looks around Rex to look at Ahsoka. “Thanks, General.”

“You’re welcome,” Ahsoka says, with a slight smile.

Brii nods and looks forward, then after a bit looks back at Rex and says, “Still, thank you too, sir.”

“I wouldn't have left him,” Rex says, quietly. He couldn't have.

Beten is in the middle of something when they walk into the medbay, but when he glances over at them, he almost drops what he's doing and runs over, grabs Naas’ shoulders with surprisingly gentle fingers.  _ “Vod! _ Come here, sit down, let me look at you. Gods, I thought-” Beten presses their foreheads together and then pulls Naas to a bunk close to Kix's, who's sitting up and  _ clearly _ intended Naas to be close to him.

Rex steps between the two bunks and sets a hand on Kix's shoulder. “Palpatine is dead,” he says, tiredly. “I don't know how much you heard.”

“Tuck told me what was going on,” Kix says. “Good.”

Beten is asking Naas to tell him what's wrong with him, so he can treat him, and Rex doesn't totally realize anything's wrong until Ahsoka touches his arm and says, “Rex,” and he looks at Naas and sees that their  _ vod'ika _ has suddenly bent forward very small and wrapped his arms around his stomach, shivering.

“Naas, I can't treat you as well if you don't tell me what happened,” Beten says, very careful. He isn't touching Naas, which Rex thinks is wise.

“I know,” Naas says. “I know, I'm sorry, I know.”

Ahsoka reaches over and touches his shoulder. “I'll look,” she says, and closes her eyes for a moment. Her expression twists in hurt, sorrow, then she lists, “There are electrical burns. Bruises, or breaks, both maybe. You haven't been eating, either, have you?”

“No,” Naas rasps.

“Well, that. Just a lot of bruises and burns.” Ahsoka opens her eyes, sighing, and Naas hunches further forward, so Rex sits by him and puts a careful arm around him.

“I am- It hurts,” Naas says, softly. “I’m sorry, I just- I don’t want to be here.” He rubs his palms against his thighs, and Rex glances back at Ahsoka and Kix, concerned.

Kix signals  _ careful. _

“Okay,” Beten says, going after his supplies, and it’s all quiet and tired while Beten convinces Naas to peel off the burnt top of his blacks (that takes time, and takes Rex and Ahsoka going over to sit with Kix and pretending to not pay attention, and takes Beten telling him it’s okay, he’ll make it not hurt so much), and Rex talks with Kix a bit, explaining everything he knows about what’s just  _ happened _ a little better.

“Are you sure he’s dead?” Kix growls, after Rex explains about the pauldron, as quietly as he can so Naas won’t hear. “I’d like to make sure.”

“Kix, you’d be in no shape.”

“Try me.” Kix crosses his arms, scowling. “Technically, I only have two more days in here anyway.”

Rex chuckles, despite himself. “I wanted to shoot him, too. Figure General Skywalker beheading him counts for the 501st and the 607th, though.”

“If I’d been confident enough I could survive it, I would’ve tried to kill him myself,” Ahsoka says, a hard edge to her voice. “No one treats my men that way and gets away with it.”

“I’d have liked to see that.” Kix nods. “You shoulda grabbed yourself another lightsaber, Rex, and tried that.”

“Yes, and died, that would’ve been useful,” Rex mutters.

“Well, not useful, but spectacular,” Kix points out.

“Cody would have killed me  _ again. _ Somehow.”

“He’s going to do that anyway, when you eventually die.” Kix rolls his eyes. “I’d bet most of my credits that he resurrects your corpse just to yell at you.”

There’s a very soft huff of laughter from Naas.

Rex crosses his arms and gives Kix a sharp look. “Gossiping about your superior officers,” he says, disapproving. “You should know better.”

“Sir, all due respect, but come off it with that banthashit. You know I’m right.” Kix folds his hands neatly and raises his eyebrows, smug. “I am the  _ medic, _ Rex, and I have the Force. I’m allowed to say what I want.”

“When you’re out of the medbay, you’re on KP,” Rex says, casually.

So for a while they all sit, until Naas is installed in his bunk with an IV (which he hates, which takes Rex rubbing his shoulder and talking quietly to him and Kix easing calm into the Force to get done) and Beten has tended to the worst of his injuries, and then Rex gets up because he should go see the rest of his men - even if they didn’t need him, now, he needs them, needs his  _ vode _ in one place and alive and safe.

~~~

It takes too long for Anakin to be able to get both himself and Padmè free from all the bureaucracy surrounding Palpatine's death, too long of having to constantly remind himself to _ breathe, _ of holding himself together by sheer will and gritted teeth and clenched fists. But escape he finally does, into a borrowed speeder and the freedom of the wind on his face, and he pushes the speeder as fast as it'll go to the medbay. He  _ needs _ Obi-Wan, and he needs to breathe, and he needs- he doesn't know.

Reassurance that he hasn't just made a terrible mistake, maybe.

He killed his _ best friend. _

He thinks Padmè should see a medic, but she doesn't want to (says she'll do it _ later, _ that she's not hurt, neither of which Anakin believes - there's a red burn on her neck, just from being so close to a lightsaber), and he doesn't want to push her that hard. He _ needs _ her.

Still, he makes her promise, which means there's at least a little better chance of her _ actually _ seeing a medic after all this, and then he leads her to Obi-Wan's room. Duchess Satine is gone, back to Mandalore, so there are enough chairs in the room for both of them to sit down.

Obi-Wan looks worried, feels like he can tell that Anakin _ needs _ him. Anakin just sits, for a minute, and then he blurts out, “I killed him, Obi-Wan. He was my _ best friend _ and I killed him.”

He doesn't know what to _ do. _ Did he do the right thing? Should he have been the one to kill Palpatine?

Anakin doesn't know _ anything, _ and he's choking on everything he doesn't know.

~~~

Obi-Wan carefully, carefully pushes himself most of the way into an upright sitting position, noting Padme resting her hand on top of Anakin’s. Cody came a while ago and explained the gist of what has happened and what’s been going on, and Obi’s been thinking it all through ever since.

“Your best friend, was he?” Obi asks, lightly, although he does regret that somebody Anakin trusted (whatever Obi-Wan has always thought of how  _ deserving _ of that trust Palpatine was) had betrayed him so badly. It is… concerning that the Sith Master had so close a hold on his friend.

“Yeah,” Anakin says, quiet, disappointed. “You and Rex are my brothers, and Padme is my wife, so…”

So that leaves Palpatine as Anakin’s best friend.

But, well- Well. Obi-Wan blinks a little. “I see,” he says.  _ Brothers. _ At any rate, he supposes he understands why Anakin is struggling - he’d be surprised if Anakin was not. “I believe most would agree it’s a good thing you killed him,” he says, neutral, trying to work out what Anakin’s feeling about it.

“He’s- He was…” Anakin stops, fumbling. “I  _ trusted _ him, Obi-Wan.”

“Yes,” Obi says, regretfully. There is nothing they can do about that now except deal with the fallout. “He was convincing. I’m sorry, Anakin.”

He should have been of more help. Somehow.

“Me too,” Anakin says, so wearily. “I should have known, I should have seen it.”

“We will all be saying that for a long time, I think,” Obi says. Perhaps it is the worst, in one way, for Anakin, but this has worryingly far-reaching effects.

“How could I have trusted him?” Anakin asks, almost to himself, miserable, and Obi looks at Padme, then folds his hands in his lap.

“Because he was a good liar, it seems,” Obi says, wearily.

“I'm the one who originally called for a vote of no confidence in Chancellor Valorum,” Padme says, quietly. “I was convinced it was for the best, at the time.”

And instead, here they are having spent years in a galaxy-wide war that appears to have been a grand farce.

Anakin shakes his head, exhausted, vulnerable-looking. “I feel… He's been- did he ever care about  _ me? _ Or has it always just been about my… power? I thought he  _ cared.” _

“I don't know,” Obi says, although he thinks he does. Unfortunately, he's afraid that the Sith never really cared for Anakin - that makes the most sense. But he can't say that to his brother now. “Either way, he didn't have your best interests in mind, Anakin, and I'm- I'm sorry that he did that.”

“I should’ve listened to you,” Anakin says, quietly, swallowing hard. “I never should’ve doubted you.” Padme wraps her arms around Anakin’s shoulders, for a moment, and he kisses her forehead. Obi says nothing about it.

Obi-Wan looks down. “I hardly think you’re entirely to blame, if you did,” he says, wryly.

Anakin shakes his head. “You’re my  _ Master,” _ he says, softly. “That- should’ve meant more to me.”

Obi-Wan shrugs, looking down. “Your history with  _ masters _ is not altogether a glowing one,” he points out, ruefully. “I’m afraid I have not made it much better.”

“Obi-Wan, you’re the best Master I’ve ever had,” Anakin says, frowning at him, a bit confused, apparently. “I wouldn’t call you my brother if I hated you.”

“Well, I certainly am relieved that you don’t hate me,” Obi-Wan chuckles, shaking his head. That’s not exactly what he was concerned about anyway. “I was really uncertain, with all the time you’ve spent visiting me.” He smiles, trying to be reassuring.

Anakin gets out of his chair with a light laugh to lean over and put his arms around Obi-Wan’s shoulders, which really just ends up with Obi’s face getting smothered by his friend’s shoulder as he tries to hug Anakin back without hurting himself, but he appreciates the sentiment anyway. “You know,” Anakin says, sitting back down, and  _ teasing, _ oh dear, “I think Satine being here was good for you, you’ve lightened up.”

“Don’t start that again, Anakin,” Obi-Wan groans, rubbing his forehead.

“Start what?” Anakin asks, calmly, smiling like he really has no idea what Obi means. Padme, at least, seems to find this  _ very _ amusing, because she’s got her hand over her mouth in a pretense of resting her chin on her hand, but her eyes are dancing so Obi expects she’s laughing at him.

He huffs, impatiently. “You  _ know _ what,” he says, irritated.

“Ohhh,” Anakin says, throwing up a hand in mock realization, grinning. “You mean teasing you about your girlfriend? Obi-Wan, I would  _ never.” _

Padme  _ snorts, _ which does pull a reluctant smile out of Obi-Wan before he refocuses on his  _ ridiculous _ best friend. “I haven’t  _ got _ a girlfriend, Anakin, and I’m not  _ likely _ to, so would you just give it a rest?”

It’s not, strictly speaking, a lie, although if Obi is honest he’s entirely sure  _ what _ he and Satine are now. Perhaps he’d better not overthink that.

~~~

“My apologies, Master,” Anakin says, lightly, smiling to himself. Like he's going to believe _ that, _ whatever Obi-Wan wants him to think. He focuses, though, asks, “Since you clearly weren't surprised by Padmè and I… how long have you known?” It probably was a fool's errand, trying to keep their relationship from  _ Obi-Wan, _ of all people.

Obi-Wan raises an eyebrow. “You two have a depressing lack of subtlety for otherwise intelligent people.” Anakin isn't sure if that's a compliment or not. “It's been at least a few years. Certainly before you were a Knight, I don't really even remember now.”

Anakin blinks. “But you- never said anything to the Council?” He would've thought… Obi-Wan doesn't exactly approve of _ attachment, _ or so he'd thought.

“Clearly not,” he says dryly. “I'm _ on _ the Council, you remember, so I felt that one Councillor knowing about it would be quite sufficient.”

“Oh,” Anakin says. “Well, thanks.” There's a pause, then he shifts and says, “I'm worried about Naas, he didn't look good.”

“I imagine not. Perhaps I'd better see him as soon as possible, if he'll still let me.”

Anakin thinks that'd be a good idea. “I can go talk to him and see,” he offers. “They've probably brought him to the medbay by now, so you wouldn't have to go far.”

“Good idea,” Obi-Wan says, leaning back in his bed with a tired sigh. He looks _ exhausted. _

So Anakin stands and heads for where he can feel Naas’ Force signature, and Padmè goes to the medics like she'd promised. Naas is sitting on a bunk, Beten fussing around him, an IV in his arm, looking extremely uncomfortable - Brii is sitting next to him, holding Orikih very tightly. Anakin stops a few feet from the bunk, says, very quietly, calm, “Hey, Naas. Obi-Wan wants to come help you with your shields again, is that okay?”

Naas fidgets, doesn't quite look at Anakin, which- he gets it, says, “Okay, he can come.”

“I'll go get him,” Anakin says, and he turns to go deliver the (good?) news.

Maybe they can still fix this after all.

~~~

The medics aren’t too happy about installing Obi-Wan in a wheelchair and allowing him to go see Naas, but he is… insistent, and if he perhaps uses the Force to calm their worries and push them toward agreeing with him, it’s only because he’s concerned about Naas. Besides, he’s on more painkillers today, so it’s not too bad trying to move from his bed to his chair. They still have him tuck a blanket around himself, and he knows he doesn’t look exactly  _ alright, _ but really, since he’s trying not to scare Naas, that may be for the best.

That doesn’t make it less uncomfortable having all eyes on him when Anakin wheels his chair over to Naas’ bunk. Cody would say he’s being proud; perhaps he is. In any case.

“Hello, Naas,” he says, calmly, folding his hands in his lap. “Are you doing alright?”

Naas shrugs. “Yes, sir.” He doesn't look at Obi, so Obi holds very still and threads Light around Naas’ muddled signature. Naas feels surprisingly steady, although there is pain and anxiety crackling around him, too.

“I'd hoped to help you with your shields, again, if you'd let me?” Obi asks, gently.

Naas flinches, so although he quickly nods, Obi doesn't reach for his mind.

“I don't have to,” he says. “I just want to help.”

Hesitating, Naas explains, “He- broke the shields. All of them, he- So. I don’t, I can’t, just, just, wait.”

Obi is good at waiting, so he nods and leaves his hands folded. Naas reaches over to pet his loth-cat, which is bundled up on Brii’s lap, then swallows.

“I have some shields,” he says, very whispery. “But I could- It hurts, so I- You can help.”

Obi-Wan understands. He is very, very careful when he reaches for Naas’ mind, finding his shields stronger than they used to be, thick layers of protection that will not hold out a stronger mind (one like the Chancellor’s, it seems) but that must at least quiet the Force. He stays out of Naas’ thoughts, just layers his shields over Naas’ own, firm and immovable.

And perhaps he also begins to weave the Force over Naas’ injuries, the deepest ones, the worst burns and bruises. He pretends not to feel someone else (Kix) quietly doing the same thing - strictly speaking, neither of them are supposed to be using the Force for things like this.

“There you are, Naas,” he says, pulling back and focusing Naas’ (now ashen) face. “I’m sorry.”

“Thanks,” Naas answers, wrapping his arms around his stomach. “Are you- okay?” he asks, in a rush, gesturing loosely at Obi’s… everything, he supposes. That seems to happen, when people talk to him. Everyone’s very concerned.

“More or less. I admit I’m beginning to hate the medbay a good deal.” It’s starting to feel as though he’s not going to be able to leave the medbay again, because the medics keep telling him to  _ wait, _ they aren’t sure yet, there’s still more to repair and they’re worried about this complication or that infection or some other possibility, and he still  _ hurts, _ regularly, so there’s little he can say about it. It’s exhausting.

“I don’t like it,” Naas agrees, looking down at the IV in his arm. “But Beten says it will help.”

“Yes,” Beten says calmly, unrolling a length of bandage.

“That doesn’t make it very fun, does it?” Obi-Wan says, in a low voice, purposefully secretive, and Naas smiles.

“No,” he whispers back. “I’d rather  _ I _ was the medic.”

“You were learning, right?” Obi-Wan asks, kindly, sitting back with a half-chuckle.

Naas shrinks a bit, at that. “Yeah, I- was.”

Was. Obi frowns a bit. “You still want to learn, don’t you?”

“Yes, but I- I- I.” Naas stops, then leans forward (prompting a curse from Beten), biting his lip. “You taught Kix how to use the Force to heal people?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan says gently. “I did.”

“Can you… Would you teach  _ me?” _ Naas asks, barely a whisper.

Obi-Wan can’t help a real, proper, full grin. The Force is humming, warm, Light, easy. “Of course I will, Naas - when I’m healed,” he adds, because he can  _ feel _ Kix glaring at him. “I’m not supposed to use the Force very much right now.”

“Okay,” Naas says, smiling and leaning back again. “Okay, good.”

Obi-Wan thinks this will be good, something to look forward to. There seem to be many things to look forward to, really, when he thinks about it. With the war over, he could return to his books, to his studies and diplomacy. He could be a proper Master to Kalifa (who has been on a mission to Kamino, with some of the other younglings and padawans, so he has not heard from her), could spend time trying to help his troops with the end of the war, could, perhaps, look into the rule they’ve made regarding attachment. Things to look forward to.

~~~

They don't let Kalifa go back to Coruscant when she feels her Master _ scream. _

There was a bomb, they tell her - a clone blew up the Council chambers. Everything is  _ under control. _

But her Master _ screamed, _ into the Force, and he's hurting, and she needs to go _ back. _ Master Ti, though, says that she has a _ mission, _ and it's her job to complete that mission, no matter what.

“But he's my _ Master,” _ she'd tried, to no avail.

But now they're going back home. The Kaminoans,  _ longnecks _ ‘23 calls them, are close and hard to crack, but they _ had _ managed to find out that while the scientists and others lower down in the ranks didn't know much of anything, the  _ upper _ ranks… there was a wealth of information there, if you could get to it. Some of the Kaminoans had interacted with a  _ Darth Tyranus, _ who Master Ti said is Count Dooku, and there was even a couple of comms to Darth Sidious, the _ Sith Master. _

Kalifa didn't think that was enough to accomplish their mission, none of the younglings did - and, as she found out while spying on Master Ti herself, it _ wasn't. _ They're going home because it was discovered that  _ the Chancellor _ was the Sith Lord and now he's _ dead. _

Apparently a lot of things have happened on Coruscant.

Kalifa is _ supposed _ to report to the Council as soon as they get back, with the other younglings and padawans, but she doesn't. Instead, she slips away and runs for the medbay, ducks inside and looks around, worriedly.

“He's in a private room over here,” someone says, and Kalifa jumps. Turns to see Kix, smiling a little at her. “I'll show you, but you have to be gentle, Kalifa, he was hurt pretty bad.”

“I know,” she says, nodding, and she follows the medic over to a small side room, goes inside. Her Master is in the bed, covered in blankets, propped up on pillows, and she runs over to him, quickly. “Master!”

She's missed him, and she's been _ so worried. _

~~~

“Kalifa!” Obi says, surprised. No one has told him that Kalifa would be back yet - although really there’s so much going on, he’s not terribly surprised they forgot to mention it. He reaches over, catches Kalifa’s hand in the closest thing he can manage to a hug, these days. She just leans over and properly hugs him anyway, and it hurts a little but it’s well worth it. “How was your mission?”

“Fine, I guess,” she says. “We found a lot of stuff.”

“Good,” Obi answers, smiling a bit.

“I wanted to come back. I tried to make them let me, but Shaak Ti said I had to stay and finish the mission.” She’s chewing on the inside of her cheek, as if she expects him to be mad. Obi nods, understanding, and she sits down on the edge of his bunk and pulls her legs up to her chest. “I spied on her. I don’t like her.”

Obi-Wan snorts, despite himself, and rubs a hand through his beard to disguise the laugh. “Oh? Why not?”

Kalifa shrugs. “I don’t think she cares a lot about the clones.”

“I’m not sure that’s fair,” Obi suggests, gently. “She has a lot to keep track of.”

“I know. It’s just- I don’t know. Nobody there cares. ‘23  _ said _ it was fine, but it wasn’t.” Kalifa props her chin on her knees, frowning, lost in thought.

Obi-Wan has a lot he could say about that, but he does not. Instead, he folds his hands and asks, “Why wasn’t it?” encouragingly.

After a moment or so of thought, Kalifa says carefully, “They don’t really treat them the same as they do other people. Even Master Ti. I mean… ‘23’s name is  _ ‘23 _ because he doesn’t  _ have _ a name.”

“Names are important to the clones for exactly that reason,” Obi-Wan observes, thoughtfully. “They choose their own or their friends give them names.”

“I know. I tried to come up with one for ‘23 but he didn’t like any of them.”

Obi chuckles, covers his mouth again and clears his throat. “Sorry to hear that.”

She makes a face at him. “It’s just- They’re Human. Right?”

“Right,” he says. “You know that.”

“Yeah, but they all- the Kaminoans and people talk like they’re  _ not,”  _ she growls. “I don’t get it.”

Obi sighs and leans forward, the reminder making his chest heavy. The clones have lost the most in the war, were withheld so much that they should have had. At times he wants to apologize to his men for that, but the few times he’s tried, Cody has told him he’s being stupid (not in so many words).

“It doesn’t really make sense at the best of times,” he agrees. Although it does, but not in the most important ways. “They needed an army to fight the Separatists,” (or, it seems, the Sith had, which makes it all so much more pointless), “and sentients are more effective in many ways than droids. But the result is millions of men treated like glorified battle droids. With the war ending, they will need help being seen as people.”

“Karking stupid,” Kalifa mutters, then makes a face. “Sorry. But it is stupid.”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan agrees. “I hope that’s something we can make up for, with time. There are too many good men in the Grand Army of the Republic,” and perhaps he says the name with more bitterness than he should, “to let them be pushed out of sight and out of mind by bureaucracy. But, at any rate,” he adds, “I’m glad you thought about that.”

“Yeah.” Kalifa taps her fingers on her shin for a second, then looks over  _ almost _ sheepishly and says, “I told ‘23 he should live on Coruscant, after the war.”

“Did you?” Obi says, and he really shouldn’t want to laugh, but he has to very carefully school his face into polite interest. “I’m sure that would be nice.”

Kalifa narrows her eyes at him, but says, “Yeah, it’d be cool.”

Obi-Wan decides not to press the matter, for the moment, simply leans back and lets Kalifa ramble about all the things she saw on Kamino, how she hung out with the cadets and how ‘23 apparently said she’s badass and how one of the younglings on the mission put spicy peppers in a cadet’s food and that’s how they all found out that all the clones are allergic to red moon peppers from Neimoidia. It’s nice, and Obi-Wan feels like he’s doing something really  _ right _ for the first time in a while.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anybody wanna join us to go fight everyone who's ever been mean to the clones? also, we're going to be slow on updates through November, most likely, because collegefangirl3791 is trying to do NaNoWriMo with an original work.

Ahsoka stands in the Council chambers, hands clasped loosely behind her back. “You wanted to see me, Masters?”

“Yes,” Master Windu says, shifting in his chair and grimacing a bit. His left shoulder is still heavily bandaged and his arm in a sling, even though it's been a week since the attempted arrest of Palpatine. “We've debated what the consequences should be of your attachment issue, and have come to a decision.”

Ahsoka swallows, nods. It'll be fine - and the fact that they didn't call Rex in (and that the GAR hasn't said anything to him yet) means that _ he _ isn't in trouble, at least. “What have you decided?”

“You will, of course, need to cut off your attachment to your Commander,” Windu says, although he's kind about it. “There will be no permanent consequences as of yet - you are young, and this is a lesson even the oldest Jedi frequently find difficult.”

“Extra meditation, you will be assigned,” Yoda says. He shouldn't be here _ either, _ Ahsoka thinks - he'd taken a bolt of lightning to the heart, and can't even walk without leaning heavily on his gimer stick. “A question, you have, young one?”

“Yes,” she says, tries to be steady and detached, although from the way Kit Fisto smiles a little she thinks she fails. “What about Rex? Are you going to report him to the GAR?”

“That would help nothing at this point in time,” Windu says tiredly, rubbing at his face with his functional hand. “We are aware this is against their regulations as well, but I'm certain you can make it so the GAR doesn't have to know. Can't you, Knight Tano?”

She nods, quickly. “Of course. I'll talk to him - actually, with your permission, I'll go do that now.”

“Go, little ‘Soka,” Master Plo says, nodding.

She smiles at him. Bows to the Council, then turns on her heel and hurries away.

She has no intention of breaking _ anything _ off, but more secrecy will hopefully do the trick.

Won't it?

~~~

Rex is sitting on his bunk confirming the last details that will allow a transfer of three new companies of troops to the 501st (although he's not sure there's a point, anymore) when Ahsoka comes back from her meeting with the Council. She drops down on the bunk with a loud sigh, slinging her legs over his lap. “Well,” she says, huffily, “the Council made a decision about my ‘attachment problem.’” She crooks her fingers in quotations, wrinkling her nose.

“Oh?” Rex says, setting down his datapad for a moment. “What decision was that?” It's too much to hope that they've decided to excuse the issue in their case.

“I get extra meditation, yay me,” she says. “And I'm supposed to cut off our attachment.”

“I see,” Rex says, carefully. Despite himself, he worries some that she'll have to listen to them - being a Jedi is so important to her, why would she risk that now? “You gonna do that, then?” he asks, mostly teasing.

“Oh yeah,” she says, rolling her eyes, voice dripping sarcasm. “I spent six months pining after your stupidly attractive and generally amazing self just to let the Council tell me what to do.”

“So… No,” Rex confirms, raising an eyebrow at her. He doesn't know why it surprises him at all. It's just that the Jedi's rule against attachment had been part of his reasoning behind staying away from Ahsoka for so long - really, he'd worried that when it came down to it, she wouldn't be able to ignore that rule, so what would have been the point in risking it?

He doesn't even know  _ why _ the Jedi forbid attachment.

“Duh,” Ahsoka says, making a face at him like he's an idiot. “C'mere so I can kiss you.”

Rex chuckles bemusedly, puts an arm around her shoulders and leans over to oblige her. She kisses him hard, possessive, and Rex huffs a laugh when he pulls back, shaking his head at her. “Pissed at someone?” he jokes.

“Mm, no,” Ahsoka says, smirking. “They just can’t tell me what to do.”

Rex shakes his head with a snort and picks his datapad up to finish the form, inputting the date and signing  _ CT-7567 _ so he can move on to a requisition form - he has time between reports due, so he needs to get himself a new helmet. A Phase Two helmet he can find in the armory, but Phase One needs a new form, and then he has to make the modifications himself.

He  _ could  _ just requisition one made to his specifications, but that’s not as enjoyable, and anyways, he doesn’t trust them to get it right. He’ll make his own again, and paint the jaig eyes back on it, like he prefers.

“So why is it against the Jedi Code to have ‘attachments,’ anyway?” he asks, absentmindedly, starting to answer the questions on the new form.

“Because, apparently, attachment to one person distracts from, uhh…” She stops, thinking, lips pursed in a frown. “Basically, if you’re too attached to someone, you prioritize them above everyone else.”

Rex sighs, frowning. “I guess that kind of makes sense.” If there is anything consistent about the Jedi, it is that they seem to hold themselves to a tighter, higher standard than most anyone else. In many ways, that’s good. Sometimes, Rex thinks they hurt themselves by it.

“I think it’s stupid,” Ahsoka snaps.

Fair enough. Rex thinks about it for a minute, as he types. “Well. It does make a certain amount of sense anyway.”

Ahsoka grumbles, then reaches over and flicks the front of his cuirass. “You’re  _ ignoring me, _ Commander,” she huffs. He decides to be generous and  _ ignore _ the fact that she’s pouting at him.

“I’m  _ trying _ to get a new helmet,” he says, shaking his head. “Since Grievous wrecked the old one. Armor’s important,  _ cyar’ika.” _

“More important than your Jedi?” she asks, pointedly, and Rex chuckles.

“Be  _ patient, _ would you? I never said that.”

_ “Rex,”  _ she whines, drawn out. “I don’t  _ like _ being patient.”

“Oh, calm down,” he grumbles, jostling her with his shoulder. “I’ll make it worth your while, just let me finish this form.”

“You better,” she tells him, and Rex rolls his eyes. She’s always so demanding.

He doesn’t actually mention that he’s finished the helmet requisition form for almost ten minutes. It’s a little mean, but worth it.

He doesn’t think she really minds, anyway.

~~~

As Kit Fisto watches Ahsoka Tano leave the Council chambers, he has the strangest feeling she is _ not _ about to do what she'd proclaimed.

Oh, he has no doubt that she is going to go see her Commander, but to cut off their attachment?

He believes that is highly unlikely.

“Come, Master Kenobi,” Kit says, lightly, “let's get you back to the medbay before your medic comes and yells at us.” He pushes himself out of his chair, crosses the room and grasps the handles of Obi-Wan's wheelchair, although he waits until he's a short distance from the Council chambers before asking, “What is the likelihood that she'll _ actually _ cut off the attachment?”

Obi-Wan hesitates. “Slim,” he says, finally, and Kit laughs.

“I thought so. They are very close, I can tell.” Perhaps he shouldn't approve, but he is hardly _ conventional, _ and there's something he finds oddly beautiful about the way the Force flows around committed couples. It is why, among other reasons, he has never said anything to Skywalker about Amidala - and why he has never told the Council.

Also, if he were to reveal  _ others’ _ attachments and breaches of the Code, he has no doubt the Force would cause his own to be revealed, and that… is not something Kit looks forward to. Nor, it would seem, does Obi-Wan.

“Say, while we're on the subject,” Kit says, very light, “how is your Duchess?”

“I'm afraid I don't follow you,” his fellow Master says, raising an eyebrow.

He feels distinctly _ shocked. _

Kit laughs. “You are very subtle, my friend, don't worry - I'm just very good at sensing emotions.” He grins. “Besides, she requested you as her escort, you volunteered before you even knew that,  _ and _ she left her currently-rebuilding planet to come spend a couple of _ weeks _ with you while you were convalescing.” He pauses, then adds, “Also, your men _ and _ the medics are ridiculous gossips.”

“We've been friends for years. Is it such a surprise?”

Kit chuckles. “Not exactly,” he says, “but you _ are _ very fond of the Code. You don't take after your Master in that respect.”

~~~

Obi-Wan folds his hands very neatly in his lap. He hadn’t expected this line of questioning and isn’t prepared for it. “Master Qui-Gon had his way of viewing the Code. I have mine. I don’t see the point of this discussion, though, I’m afraid, if there was one?”

Kit turns them down a hall toward the medbay, saying, “I was merely curious how your Duchess is faring.” Obi can hear his smile.

“Well, as far as I’m aware the Duchess is fine,” Obi sighs, trying not to roll his eyes. Kit has always been too perceptive for his own good.

Kit chuckles, warmly, and is quiet for a moment before asking, “And what about your padawan?” he says, lightly. Obi-Wan sighs. “Prescribed meditating for a difficult problem, how is that going?”

“Entirely off any record,” Obi-Wan says, smiling fondly, “Anakin is not good at meditating, and I have never really been able to help him with that.” Kit chuckles, and Obi lowers his voice, as they’re nearly to the medbay again. “Regardless, I have full confidence in Anakin. He’s simply had a harder time managing his passions than many Jedi.”

Kit snorts a little. “That’s hardly a  _ simple _ problem, Obi-Wan,” he says, but he says it amusedly, so Obi lets it be. “But I will tell you, I have confidence in him too. He is a good man, I believe.”

“Yes, he is,” Obi agrees. “Quite independently of us, I think. We seem to have harmed him more than helped him, these past years.”

“Obi-Wan, you are, as ever, too hard on yourself,” Kit says mildly, pushing him into the medbay and through to his room, where he stops the wheelchair and comes around to look at him. “Whether you are too hard on the Council… I can’t speak for that. But you are a good Master, my friend - have grown into one, perhaps, but nonetheless.”

“I did not have the luxury of learning over time,” Obi says, tiredly. “I often think that Master Qui-Gon would have done a far better job than I.”

“Is that regret I’m hearing, Obi-Wan?” Kit asks, crossing his arms, although his expression is sympathetic.

Obi sighs. “Regret, no,” he says, although he thinks there are times he feels nothing  _ but  _ regret. Anakin is the only one he’s told that to, though. He is a Master on the Jedi Council - he’s meant to be above regret. “But my Master saw things differently than I do. I think perhaps his perspective would have been better for Anakin than mine has been - you said yourself, I am fond of the Code. Anakin doesn’t entirely see its value. Master Qui-Gon would have understood that, where I find myself at a loss.”

“Perhaps you don’t need to have all the answers, my friend,” Kit says, and Obi-Wan reluctantly lets Kit help him out of his wheelchair and onto the bunk where he’s spent the last weeks.

“I know,” Obi-Wan answers, pursing his lips when Kit pulls the blankets over him without being asked and without comment. He wishes people wouldn’t fuss.

“Be careful with yourself, Obi-Wan,” Kit says, patting his shoulder. “I’m sure I’ll see you later.”

Obi nods at his friend and fellow Councillor, watches him walk out of the room with a certain self-satisfied air. Obi thinks Anakin could stand to know that Kit and some others on the Council really do believe in him, because Obi’s not sure his own opinion is enough right now.

~~~

Ahsoka sits cross-legged on the floor of the darkened training room, eyes closed, breathing in and out, slow, regular, an almost-meditation routine. On the floor in front of her, the small, palm-sized holodisk waits.

She can almost feel it _ taunting _ her.

Rex had said she should watch it again, a reminder of why they trust her, of why they _ still _ trust her, no matter her failure on Mandalore, and- and she thinks he's right, really. She'd almost forgotten about the little disk, the holo, in the chaos surrounding Umbara and Onderon and everything else. And she _ wants _ to watch it again, really she does, it's just-

Almost every one of the men who made that are dead, now.

But-

Ahsoka opens her eyes, takes a deep breath, and reaches out, presses the button on the disk. 

A small, glowing holo of Fives springs into existence - he's rubbing awkwardly at his goatee and looking a little off to the side of the camera as he says,  _ “Well, sir, if you're watching this, happy birthday from Torrent-” _

_ “Of course she's watching it, you di'kut,” _ Jesse says, coming into view.  _ “Don't mind him, Commander - he's not a fan of cameras.” _

Fives snaps something out in Mando'a, and from somewhere off-camera there's laughter.

Ahsoka swallows hard, takes a deep breath.

_ “Anyway, sir,” _ and it's Fives again,  _ “we know things have been hard on you lately, and we wanted to just… tell you why we all love you.” _ It's hard to tell, in the blue-glow, but it almost looks like Fives is _ blushing. _

Fives, Jesse, and a few others talk about how they like that she's always treated them like _ people, _ like they're more than fancy clankers. Kix says, tiredly,  _ “As much as it makes my life hell, and I swear you're going to kriffing kill me by stress one of these days, the way you always put our lives before your own is… well.” _ Kix shifts.  _ “It makes us feel important, I guess. That you think we're worth getting hurt for.” _ He doesn't say _ dying for, _ but Ahsoka thinks it, to herself.

And that's part of why Mandalore had _ burned, _ so much.

There's a trooper named Pip, one she'd never interacted with much, and he'd died on Umbara. He twists his hands together and says, quiet and embarrassed, that he likes that she _ cares, _ says that one time he got shot and she rescued him, said she was  _ happy _ to, and so-

She swallows _ hard, _ closes her eyes for a minute.

The holo keeps playing.

At some point, amid all the faces of dead men,  _ Akaan _ starts talking, and Ahsoka thinks she was crying before but now she can barely breathe, as Akaan talks about the fact that she can destroy an entire company of clankers in _ minutes, _ that she's an _ actual karking badass, sir, I mean, there was this one time when you destroyed a tank and then jumped onto the next one, it was actually pretty kriffing- _

There's a rather obvious blip in the footage, there, where something's been cut out, and Ahsoka laughs through her tears, shaking her head.

She _ misses them. _

The holo ends with Fives again, sheepish, grinning, and she swipes at her eyes, takes a shaky breath.  _ Force, _ this is all-

She just misses them, she wants them _ back. _

~~~

Rex walks into the training room a few minutes before the holo recording stops playing, stops just inside the doorway and is silent, because these… his brothers, all the lost faces that he can’t see, ever again (because they are not all one face, he’s learned, he can recognize every brother as someone different, unique, and the only ones who don’t see that are the ones who don’t understand), he’s  _ missed _ them. He still does, so much. He does every time.

Ahsoka’s crying, hard, by the time the recording ends, so Rex rubs his hands together and goes over to sit next to her (he’d come in here expecting to go a few rounds with a punching bag, so he’s wrapped up his hands and is just wearing the lower half of his armor). She startles, a bit, when he sits down, but she’s all too happy to curl up against his side when he wraps his arms around her. Burying her face in his shoulder, tucking one arm around his middle, she says, muffled, “I  _ miss them.” _

Rex chuckles, raspy, holding her very tight. “Yeah. Yeah, me too.”

“It’s not  _ fair,” _ Ahsoka says, cuddling closer to him. He can feel her shaking, some, because she’s still crying.

“No kidding,” he answers, wryly, rubbing her shoulder. Nothing has  _ ever _ been fair for them, but this sort of thing is the worst of it.

Ahsoka just cries for a while, and Rex stares at the little holodisk and keeps soothing his hand over Ahsoka’s shoulder, up and down, not thinking much. After a bit, she turns a little and leans up to kiss him, softly.

“Don’t you dare die on me too,” she says, insistent.

“Wasn’t planning on it,” Rex answers, lightly. Now that the war’s ending, the chances of him dying before it’s over are actually looking slim. He’s not even sure how he feels about that, yet.

“Please,” she whispers. “I don’t know how much more loss I can  _ take.” _

Rex doesn’t say that he has found that you take as much as you have to, even when you think you  _ can’t _ anymore. He also doesn’t say that there’s no use asking him not to die. She knows that. Instead of doing either, he just hugs her tighter and is quiet.

“I love you,” she tells him, thickly. “So much.”

“I know. I love you too.” Rex cups one hand over her cheek, absently, silently going through his brothers’ names and faces in the private sort of remembrance he practices whenever he thinks about them being dead. It’s better to say their names to himself than to try to pretend he’s not thinking about it. “I’m glad you watched that again.”

“They’re all- dead,” Ahsoka says, quietly, and Rex nods, swallowing. “But- Fives said, they wanted to show me why they loved me.” She shakes her head. “Do you think they knew, Rex? That I-” She stops, looking straight in front of her, quiet.

“Knew what?”

“That I- love them too,” she breathes, closing her eyes. “Cody said that they aren’t my brothers, and I know I’m not- I’ll never be one of you, not really, but I-” and she falls silent, shaking her head.

“They knew,” Rex says, quietly. “You heard them, ‘Soka, that’s part of  _ why _ they respected you. We don’t usually- well, you know, usually natural-borns don’t care as much as you do. So we notice.” He stops for a minute, thinking, then adds, carefully, “When they- gave you all those gifts, on your birthday, it’s- Gifts are important to my  _ vode, _ that and armor. We don’t share those traditions lightly, you know, ‘Soka, and that program Jesse made you so you could learn Mando’a? It’s not- I should’ve explained better, before, how serious that is for us.”

“I don’t understand,” Ahsoka says, quietly. “I thought- the gifts were because of my birthday, being an adult and all.”

Rex pushes one hand through his hair, sighing. “I mean, that was sort of it. But we don’t really  _ have _ birthdays, Ahsoka, so- no offense- but we don’t see the point. We- we give gifts to, um, appreciate each other’s individuality, I guess. That’s why I wouldn’t let you help me buy Brii’s sketchbook, because it was  _ my _ gift. But mostly that’s a tradition for us  _ vode, _ we don’t usually share that.” Rex knows that sometimes the Wolfpack includes General Plo in things like that, and Cody has quietly shared  _ vode _ traditions with General Kenobi for years (he doesn’t say as much, but Rex knows), but natural-borns rarely understand, or care to understand, their traditions. When they  _ do _ learn about them, so often they try to take them away, so the  _ vode _ have learned to keep these sorts of things private. Otherwise things happen like Palpatine breaking Naas’ pauldron or their officers trying to get them not to speak Mando’a.

“Oh,” Ahsoka says, quietly. She hesitates a moment, then asks, “Can I- get gifts for some of them?”

Rex smiles, shaking his head a little. “Sure, General. If you want to.”

~~~

“I do want to,” she says, slowly, already considering what she could get for the men she's thinking about. A power cell for Kix's lightsaber, a vibroblade for Jesse, a good-quality set of paintbrushes and pencils for Brii… she can think of gifts for several of them, easily.

“Then you should,” Rex says, warm and firm. “Fives might try to kiss you, though.”

She snorts. “He's been talking about that for like, a year. If he tries anything _ too _ forward, I'll just punch him.” She laughs a little, rubs at her eyes and leans more into Rex.

“He wouldn't. He likes you too much.”

Ahsoka sighs, grinning a bit. “I don't know what to get him,” she says, thoughtfully. “Any ideas?” She wants her gifts to be _ good. _

“I don't know,” Rex says. “Fives doesn't need a lot of stuff.”

She considers that, for a moment. “Maybe some kind of civvies, a jacket or something, since the war is ending.” She hesitates, adds, “Would it be… well, a bad thing if I gave Echo armor?” She _ wants _ to, but that's the  clones’ tradition, she doesn’t- she isn't a clone, so maybe she shouldn't do that, she doesn't know.

Rex hesitates for a long time before he says, slowly, “I think… you should be careful about that. That's- a big promise to make. If you do that, you should do something small.” He seems uncertain, and she swallows a bit.

“I'm not a clone,” she says, tiredly. “So I guess- it's not really a tradition I'm a part of, is it? I mean, you gave me armor, but you were already trying to die for me so…” She shrugs a bit. “He just… he gave me that piece he made, and I wanted to- well, to return that.” 

Rex kisses her temple, tugs her closer to him. “I'm sure you can. It's just- maybe ask me, before you decide what you're giving him.”

She smiles, quietly. “I can do that.” 

~~~

A Senator has never before called a meeting of the Jedi Council. The Senate has, at times, asked them to convene to obtain their opinion, or called on a Councillor to testify in the Senate chambers. But Senator Amidala has never much cared for convention, so when she calls almost all of the Councillors personally to tell them she needs to meet with them over a vitally important matter of justice and democracy, the Council meets.

Mace’s shoulder burns, today, and it doesn’t help that he hasn’t had any pain medication yet either. He’s simply not had the time. It’s unfortunate, but he has other priorities. In this case, the Senator standing in front of them with her hands folded neatly in front of her, her eyes very bright. Mace senses she’s upset, angry and anxious and  _ quite _ determined.

“A serious issue to discuss, have you, Senator?” Yoda asks, somber, although Mace believes his old Master is rather delighted by the irregularity of this whole situation.

Mace does not share that sentiment.

“Yes,” Senator Amidala says, very firmly. “There was a bill brought to the Senate floor today regarding the fate of the Grand Army of the Republic when this war is over. Most of the Senate has been in agreement that maintaining a standing army of millions of clone troopers would be inefficient and costly.”

“The Council is aware of this,” Mace says, mildly. It would be unwise of them  _ not _ to keep up with the Senate's deliberations, especially right now.

“Of course.” Amidala lifts her chin, slightly, and Mace smiles a bit because he can feel she's getting ready to say what she came here to say. He admires her for her passion and principle - there are very few Senators that Mace respects to this degree. “Senator Burtoni and some of her allies have proposed a bill that would effectively retire the clones, confining them to the Kamino facilities and some Outer Rim posts for the remainder of their terms of service.” She pauses, to let the information sink in.

A bill such as the one she describes would neatly dispose of all the clones who have been fighting their war for three years. Assuming that were even an enforceable decision (Mace suspects the Senate could manage, unfortunately), millions of surviving men would end up dying in the Outer Rim without other options, as their reward for fighting in a galaxy-wide war. Mace has, of course, considered the difficulty that the end of the war presents for his troops - in some ways, this could be worse, but he doubts that will placate his men when they hear about it.

“Interesting,” Obi-Wan says, smoothly. Mace feels his anger, though, carefully contained, and can't help sharing some of it. “Do you believe this bill would have the popular vote, Senator?”

“I'm not sure yet,” she answers. “But I think it might.”

“Unfortunately, I would not be surprised,” Plo says.

“What are you asking us to do about it, Senator?” Mace asks, folding his hands in front of his chin. “I assume you didn't just call us here in this highly unusual manner to give us the news.”

“Not this time, Master Windu,” Amidala says, smiling. “I am here to ask the Jedi to consider aligning themselves as an institution against this bill.”

Mace frowns, beginning to shake his head. “The Jedi do not take sides politically in the Republic, and the Senate itself has often requested that we keep to this policy. We cannot-”

“You are part of the politics of this war already,” Amidala says, her voice going hard-edged and unflinching. Mace stops. “You are these men's Generals. If you allow this bill to pass unchallenged, you will be leaving millions of sentients to a life sentence that I believe they have not earned. You are already involved politically in this area; to refuse to be involved now would be to fail those men. Correct me if I misunderstand anything.”

Her expression says that she does not anticipate correction. For good reason.

“If I may add something to your already excellent point, Senator,” Obi-Wan says, with a self-deprecating smile, “Our Order has already been forced to operate as a political entity in its own right, because of this war, and I believe most of us have found this frustrating.” He's correct. Although Mace has found he has a certain talent for politics, he does not enjoy them. They never used to have to worry about the public opinion of their Order - partly because the Jedi's good works across the galaxy spoke for themselves. The war has confined them to battlefields and planning rooms for too long.

Obi-Wan leans forward, earnest, as he continues, “But that political presence has put us in a position where we can step in and speak for the men we've been fighting with these past years. If we did not use what influence we have to help them, we would be failing our core principles of justice and compassion. And I, for one, don't want to have to tell my men that the Jedi Order has chosen to sit back and do nothing to help them.”

Mace sees Plo and Kit nodding, seriously, and knows they agree with Obi-Wan. And he nods, too, because in truth this is not a matter of politics, for them.

“We will have to discuss it,” Mace says, although he suspects it will be a very short discussion, more a confirmation that they all agree this is the course they should take. “But you will have your answer before the end of the day, Senator.”

Amidala shifts a little, impatient, but she smiles serenely and nods. “Of course. Thank you, Masters.”

“It's always a pleasure,” Obi-Wan says, and Amidala turns to go.

Once she's gone, the young Master declares, “We must speak against this bill.” He says it defiantly, almost, as if he expects them to disagree. Mace reaches into the Force, listening.

Plo and Kit both add their verbal agreement to Obi-Wan's statement, and Shaak Ti nods slowly.

“I agree,” Mace says, simply. “Politics may not be our sphere, but sitting silently in the face of injustice is not the Jedi way.”

Master Yoda sighs, tapping his stick a few times on the floor, eyes closed. Then he looks up with a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Agree with you also, I do. Speak against Senator Burtoni's bill, I believe, we must.”

Mace pretends not to notice Obi-Wan, Plo, and Kit's collective sigh of relief.

The war has changed many things, but at least it hasn't changed this.

~~~

Anakin parks his speeder outside Padmè's apartment and jumps out, smiling at his beautiful wife. She returns the smile, but it's strained and cracked. “What's wrong, Padmè?” he asks, closing the distance between them and tugging her into his arms.

She sighs. “We should go inside,” she tells him, and he frowns but nods.

“Okay,” he says, follows her past Threepio and into the apartment itself. He sits down on the couch and she joins him, and there's a long moment of silence, like she's deciding what to say.

Finally, Padmè sighs slowly and says, “There's a new bill on the Senate floor.”

Of course - Anakin should've known that would be what she's worrying about. “A bad one, but popular?” he guesses, eyeing her tense posture and the stress lines around her eyes thoughtfully.

She huffs out a little breath and leans into his side. “You could say that.” A pause, and then, “It's about the clones. Most of the Senate appears to be for a bill that would decommission the clones and confine them to Kamino and a few other Outer Rim bases until the end of their  _ terms of service.” _ Also known as the end of their lives.

And since the clones were only double- (or more) aged until maturity, that could be several decades.

“That's _ crazy,” _ Anakin snaps, shaking his head. He'd known, of course, that the average citizen thinks of the clones as little more than glorified battle droids, but this? “They can't _ do that, _ Padmè.”

“I know,” she says tiredly, rubbing at her forehead with one hand - Anakin pulls her closer and kisses her temple absently. “I've already talked to the Jedi Council about moving against the bill as an organization; Master Windu is going to comm me with their decision, hopefully soon.”

“The men won't like this,” Anakin says - it's an understatement. “I need to go talk to people, we have to defeat this bill before it strips them of _ all _ their humanity.”

And he doesn't want to leave his wife so soon, but there are some things more important than the two of them, so with a tired sigh he pushes himself to his feet, tugging her with him. Kisses her soundly, then adds, “I'll be back later, hopefully.”

She smiles at him as he goes.

~~~

Ahsoka comms Rex from the barracks as he’s in the middle of a practice simulation, taking his time to shoot the repurposed battle droids that line the walls of the sim. His comm pings and he sighs and answers it, tuning out the background noise of the droids and blaster bolts.

“Commander Rex,” he says, shortly.

_ “Anakin needs you in the barracks,” _ Ahsoka says, and Rex sighs, peers over the artificial cover he’s crouched behind.

“Now?” he asks.

_ “Apparently.” _

Rex swears to himself, says he’ll be right there, and gets up to power down the sim, shying away from some stray blaster bolts. Training bolts in the sims don’t leave lasting damage, but they do sting, so he’d rather avoid them. He doesn’t  _ miss _ being on the field, really, but- but he hates being stuck here. Hates how  _ much _ has gone wrong just here on Coruscant, lately. At least the battlefield makes sense. So, sims.

But of  _ course _ he gets interrupted today. Probably something else karking  _ terrible. _

So he hurries to the 501st’s barracks, leaving his hands on his blasters although he puts them back in their holsters. The new troops moved into their barracks two days ago, most of them experienced troopers, although of course there are the elite shinies, too.

They haven’t painted their armor yet, the new  _ vode. _ Rex thinks they will soon, though, and he’s dreading it.

Anakin’s waiting for him with Jesse and Ahsoka and Je’kai, when Rex joins them; Je’kai’s rank is a bit in question, lately, because although (after much debate and no small amount of vitriol from Admiral Lareen and some of the public) Je’kai has been granted a pardon for the crime of bombing the Jedi Council, no one can seem to agree on whether he ought to be given a rank again.

Anakin, true to form, doesn’t care.

And Anakin is, at the moment, standing with crossed arms and a jutted jaw and a look like thunder that warns Rex that something has, indeed, gone wrong once again. The minute Rex comes over and performs a polite salute to his Generals, Anakin bursts out, “I just talked to Padme.” He stops, like he’s working out what he’s thinking, so Rex nods and waits, easing into parade rest as is still most natural. “She said the Senate is trying to pass a bill that would lock all you clones back up on Kamino for the rest of your lives.”

Silence.

“You’re going to have to explain that better,” Rex says, carefully, slow, his voice grating harsh in the back of his throat.

“I don’t know whose idea it was,” Anakin snaps. “Padme described it as ‘decommissioning’ and then assigning you to places in the Outer Rim for ‘the rest of your terms of service.’ I guess they didn’t know what to do with all of you, so-” Anakin shrugs, a sharp, impatient movement, his brow creased in a furious scowl. “Padme thinks it’s a popular bill.”

“Of  _ course _ it is,” Jesse hisses, almost baring his teeth.

“They can’t  _ do that,” _ Ahsoka says, fiercely, and she reaches for Rex’s hand, stepping closer to him.

Rex pulls his hand out of her grip, stiffly, so he can clench his hands together behind his back, his nails digging into his skin with the effort of controlling himself. “What are they doing about it?” he asks, low.

“Padme talked to the Council,” Anakin says, running his hand through his hair. “To see if they’d publicly oppose the bill. Which they’d  _ better. _ And- I don’t know, I just heard about it.”

“I see,” Rex says. Jesse’s hands are balled into white fists at his sides, and Rex thinks his friend is moments away from shouting, and swearing, and fighting. “I am going to tell the men,” Rex tells Anakin, “when I decide the best way to do that.” He does not know how to. Not without risking making them as angry as he is.

“Okay,” Anakin says. “I’m going to comm Obi-Wan to see what the Council thinks they’re going to do.”

“Fine.” Rex nods once. “I assume you’ll keep us updated?”

“Obviously.” Anakin walks over to one of the (now few) empty bunks and gets on his comm, and Rex looks at the other three left standing with him.

Je’kai, very suddenly, although Rex is not startled, strikes out blindly with a gauntleted fist, the plastoid connecting hard with the side of one of the bunks. He shakes out his hand a little and sits down, posture perfect, on the same bunk.

“Jesse, can you be in charge of getting the word around?” Rex says, because if Jesse doesn’t have something to do he’ll be careless. “I don’t want gossip about this, so please try to contain the story.” But tell the men they must, and Rex will try to decide what to say when they ask him  _ what are we going to do. _

“Sure,” Jesse spits, strides away from them to find Fives. Rex thinks telling Fives first won’t be the best move, but Fives’ reaction will be the same either way.

In truth, Rex almost finds himself looking forward to Fives reaction, to his  _ vode's _ anger. They deserve to be angry. So much so that Rex has to be careful or he thinks he’ll find himself taking his battalion, his  _ vode, _ and doing something rash. He  _ will not _ allow them to do this to his  _ vode _ after everything else they have done. He will have  _ better _ than that. They’ve earned it.

~~~

Ahsoka doesn't know what to _ think. _

The Senate can't just _ do this. _ Sure, they've never treated the clones well, have never awarded them the protection of _ sentience, _ but this- it's too far. This is like locking up an army of dangerous beasts once they've done what they were needed for.

In a way, it's almost worse than the idea of  _ mass termination, _ which she's heard some of the men quietly worrying about, ever since the ratification of the peace treaty between the CIS and the Republic.

It's kriffing _ dehumanizing. _

And a part of her doubts the Senate would ever stop at _ just _ confining the clones - they're too useful, and also too dangerous. They would be used, and then they'd be killed, and it's _ not right. _

She can't let this happen. Won't, if it means she has to take on the Senate by herself.

“The Jedi  _ will _ oppose this,” she tells Rex, firmly, although really she doesn't know. But she doesn't see how the Jedi could _ not, _ not with how awful this bill is.

“Yes,” Rex says, and he almost sounds  _ threatening, _ “they will.”

“And if they won't, then Anakin and Obi-Wan and I will,” she says. “We won't let this happen to you.”

Rex just nods.

There's a sudden _ loud _ burst of strangled Mando'a, then Fives snarls out, “They want to kriffing do _ what?” _ and Ahsoka winces a bit. He keeps talking, dropping into Mando'a again - she picks up something about  _ shitty, shitbrained politicians who wouldn't know a gods-damned sentient if it punched them in their overinflated heads, _ followed by a string of rather impossible anatomical suggestions that make Ahsoka grimace.

“Damn, Fives,” she says under her breath.

It only takes maybe fifteen minutes for the news to spread to the whole battalion, and once it does her men are coming up to her and Rex, all of them furious and terrified, asking a variant on the same thing:  _ what are we going to do? _

She tells them the same thing she told Rex, that the Jedi will oppose it, and if not then she and Anakin and others will do everything they possibly can. They have time, the vote isn't for a few days, probably.

They can defeat this.

~~~

Fives almost immediately comes to Rex, like he had expected, practically oozing fury and energy, his hands flexing at his sides like he wants to burst into a run or throw himself into a fight. Rex meets his eyes and doesn’t know what he’s going to say when Fives asks, “So what are we doing about this,  _ vod?” _ fierce and challenging.

“I don’t know yet,” Rex says. He doesn’t want to talk about it, is a little afraid of the angry pressure in his chest and against his lungs. He burns too much.

“I’m  _ not _ going to spend the rest of my life in a karking  _ outpost _ somewhere,” Fives snarls.

“I know. Neither am I.” Rex won’t. He doesn’t  _ care _ what the outcome of the vote is (but he does, because he doesn’t want to have to fight for this, too, he just wants it to be  _ done), _ he’s not going to let them put him back on Kamino out of the way until they think of a better use for him. “I need you to slow down, for minute,  _ vod-” _

“Slow  _ down?” _ Fives protests.

Rex scowls at him till he’s quiet. “We have half a battalion of new troops,” he says, succinctly. “And until we know what  _ exactly _ is going to happen, we’re not doing  _ anything. _ The rest of the battalion takes its cues from us so I suggest you get your anger out more privately.”

Fives’ lip curls in a snarl, but he’s long past arguing with Rex about these things, Rex knows, so he storms off (hopefully to talk to Echo).

Speaking of  _ ori’vode _ \- there’s a commotion at the door and then Cody and at  _ least _ half of Ghost Company pour into the barracks, talking at Rex’s men in Mando’a, half of it swearing. Cody marches straight up to Rex, stopping close enough that Rex can see the layer of ice in Cody’s eyes, impenetrable although not to Rex, who knows his  _ ori’vod _ too well.

_ “I want to make them regret this,” _ Rex admits, low, in Mando’a.

_ “Elek,” _ Cody answers.  _ “Me too.” _

“What does your General say? Are the Jedi going to help or not?”

“Apparently they are,” Cody says, half-smiling.

That is something of a relief. Never mind that Rex is  _ sick _ of relying on everyone else to help his  _ vode, _ he is glad that the Jedi are going to speak for them. Somehow, he realizes he’d really thought they might not.

“I knew they would,” Ahsoka says, her voice triumphant, sharp. “They  _ have _ to.”

Rex and Cody both look at her, and Rex says, “Yes. They owe us that.”

“We do,” she says, nodding. “We owe you a lot more, this is the least we can do.”

“Yes,” Cody answers. He looks around at the barracks, then back at Rex and Ahsoka. Rex thinks his  _ vod _ wants to get out - frankly so does Rex. “There is a lot to talk about. I’m not satisfied with waiting for the Jedi and the Senate to argue over our fate.”

Rex nods. He’s tired of that, so tired.

Ahsoka frowns, thoughtfully. “Maybe if we talk to Padme, she can see about having a couple of you speak in the Senate.”

Rex looks down, nodding slowly. “Yes. That might help.” They would have to be careful who they chose. Rex thinks most of them just want to  _ fight, _ right now, and like it or not that won’t get them what they want.

At least, it won’t do as a first option.

The conversation in the barracks is still loud and angry, although it’s dulling into more purposeful, serious talk and less swearing. This wasn’t the best time to have to get new troops, but at least the issue at hand seems to have pushed the new  _ vode _ into conversation with his veteran troops. Everyone is angry about this at once.

Probably the new troops will paint their armor now. Rex finds he doesn’t mind as much.

They are all his  _ vode, _ after all, so even if- even if he wishes he had Torrent right now, this is alright too. They have a right to be here.

“We should make sure no one is thinking about doing anything stupid,” Cody says, firmly. “I gave my orders already, but I’m concerned.”

“You’re right.” Rex nods, rubbing a hand over the orange paint on his bracer before folding his hands behind his back again. He doesn’t think they will, but they should be sure. They need to be patient, for now.

~~~

Scrap had heard the news within a few minutes of the Jedi, General Skywalker, coming into the barracks. His new Jedi General was already here, which - is confusing, he has to admit, but she seems strong and capable (for all that she's very small, especially when she's next to the Commander). Which of course she does, she's a _ Jedi. _

Still, General Skywalker is, somehow, everything Scrap expected in a Jedi - tall, handsome, with an aura of power around him.

He _ hadn't _ expected the _ anger. _

Jedi didn't get _ angry _ on behalf of their troopers, Scrap had thought - the longnecks certainly made it seem that way. But then again, if he listens to everything the longnecks told them, he might as well just give up on ever being _ Human. _

Maybe it's ridiculous ('80 always said so, but then again, ‘80 refuses to take a name, says _ names are for sentient beings, ‘52, _ which is clearly wrong, because _ pets _ have names, but _ whatever, _ kriffing _ di'kut), _ but Scrap likes to believe he and his brothers are Human.

But this-

This _ bill. _

They would be _ nothing. _

“What do you think about this, ‘80?” he asks his _ vod _ tiredly. His best friend, his batchmate, his favorite dumbass brother out of all of them.

“I think-” ‘80 fidgets with his fingers. “It's the _ Senate, _ ‘52, they're-  _ real sentients, _ we've gotta listen to them. If they think this is what the right thing to do is, what are we to say no?”

“We're  _ real, vod,” _ Scrap says.

‘80 winces. He doesn't like the Mando'a, or- anything that could make them _ people. _

He had a bad trainer. He's never been the same.

“We're _ clones,” _ says ‘80, rubbing fractiously at his left wrist, like he's remembering the electric sting of the training bands, the sharp reminder to  _ get back on task, soldier, war waits for no one, especially not you lazy good for nothing half-wits. _ “They should just  _ terminate us, _ it'd be smarter. But a waste of money.”

“‘80,  _ stop _ that,” Scrap says. “That's Jex Vis talking, not you. We're not _ slaves.” _

'80 shakes his head. “No,” he agrees, “but clones are worse than slaves, ‘52.”

Scrap sighs. Maybe someday his brother will call him by his name.

There are times he wants to strangle that old trainer.

They are not _ clones, _ not just _ nothing, _ they're people too, and it's thanks to _ shabuire _ like Jex Vis that _ his brother  _ doesn't think he can be anything more than the string of numbers the longnecks programmed them to be.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow updates! collegefangirl3791 has been doing NaNoWriMo (with limited success) and skywalking-across-the-galaxy has been working a lot of hours at her warehouse job.
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the feels!

Ahsoka pulls Rex away from a series of conversations with his  _ vode _ after almost an hour, just touches his shoulder and says she thinks they should talk. He nods, follows her out of the barracks, hands controlled at his sides. She takes him to the hangar, which surprises him somewhat, and over to her fighter, where she jumps up to sit on the wing of the ship, looking at him thoughtfully. He leans back against the ship next to her legs, crossing his arms.

“What?” he asks, tiredly. He doesn’t really  _ want _ to talk.

“It’ll be okay,” she says, quietly, rubbing her fingers on her knees. “They won’t pass the bill.”

Rex laughs, sharply. “Does it  _ matter?” _ he asks. “They probably  _ will, _ and even if they don’t, General Skywalker said it’s a  _ popular _ bill. You’ve seen how everyone treats us, ever since we got our marching orders. Even-” He stops himself. “We will have to fight every step of the way just to be allowed to make a life for ourselves outside of the war, with or without this bill being passed, and I- I’m  _ tired.” _

Ahsoka leans over and puts her arms around his shoulders in a hug, says, “I know, but- we’ll figure it out. I promise.” He can tell she means it, so he stifles another bitter laugh and squeezes her hand a little. “Hey,” she says, insistent, “Rex, I _ promise, _ nobody gets to do anything like this to my  _ cyare.” _

“Sure, ‘Soka,” Rex says, tersely. It doesn't help.

She leaves her arms around his shoulders, close, tilting her head against his. “Tell me how to help, Rex,” she says.

“I don't know,” he growls.

She’s quiet for a moment, then says, slowly, “When Anakin gets really upset, he goes and breaks things.”

Rex laughs shortly. “I know. I've never been sure it works for him.”

She shrugs. “Do… Do you need to go do that?” she asks, softly.

“I don’t know,” he repeats, gritting his teeth. He does want to break something, he thinks, wants to rip things apart until his hands hurt and he doesn’t want to snarl at every little comment anymore, but he doesn’t even think that would be better. He wants this bill to go away, he wants everyone to stop pretending his brothers aren’t people, he wants everyone to admit, just once, that he and his brothers have been through too karking  _ much, _ but even their Jedi haven’t always owned up to it.

“We’ll make them understand,” Ahsoka tells him, and for a moment Rex doesn’t  _ want _ her touching him, so he shrugs her arms off and takes a step away from her fighter.

“We’d better,” he says, low, and his chest aches and his throat, too. “If- If not, then- Then I have no reservations about fighting for this. I would sooner fight the whole galaxy then let them try to take anything else from my  _ vode.” _ He stops, shakes his head slowly. “But I don’t want to  _ have to, _ I don’t want to do all this.”

“I’ll fight with you,” she says, fiercely, still very quiet and steady. He hears her jump lightly back to the floor of the hangar and then she’s twining her arms around his middle from behind. “But I don’t think we’ll need to. Not this time.”

“I hope not,” he says. “I want the war to be over.”

“Me too. Although…” There’s a pause, and Rex glances back at her with a slight frown. “I don’t know what’ll happen to us, when it is.”

“I don’t, either.” Rex steps away from her enough that he can turn around to face her. “But it has to be better than all the fighting.” Never mind that whenever he starts to think about how he will spend  _ peacetime, _ should he have it, he doesn’t know what he would do. He doesn’t think he could be a farmer, like Cut, doesn’t think he could be a mercenary or just live quietly in a house like a civilian.

“I don’t want to lose you,” she tells him, almost shakily, and Rex frowns.

“I don’t think that’s going to happen,” he answers. He has other concerns. “Bill or no.”

“I'm just… afraid,” she says, and Rex sighs. “That after this is over, you'll go somewhere and I'll never see you again.” Rex snorts a bit, shaking his head. As if he would. Not without a really good reason, anyway. Ahsoka sighs, shaking herself some. “But that's not really what we need to worry about right now.”

Rex grunts noncommittally, shrugging. “I'm not planning on leaving you.”

“Well, that’s good,” Ahsoka says.

For some reason, that strikes Rex funny, and he chuckles dryly, shaking his head. “Yeah. Yeah, that is a good thing,  _ cyar’ika.” _ He shakes his head, looking down, and crosses his arms.

“Yeah,” Ahsoka agrees, laughing a bit. She reaches up to put a hand on his shoulder, goes up on her toes to give him a kiss, and he sighs, some. “We’ll win this, my Rex,” she says, settling back on her heels. “I  _ promise. _ On my life.”

_ “Stop _ making promises like that,” Rex says, sharply. “It doesn’t help and there’s only so much you can do to  _ keep _ them.” He doesn’t  _ want _ her swearing things on her life, it just feels like a kriffing accident waiting to happen, and anyway, like he told Cody, it’s karking  _ stupid. _

~~~

“That's how important this is to me,” Ahsoka says quietly. “I- I  _ want _ to promise that.”

“All I need you to do,” Rex says, seriously, “is promise that you'll try to help, not that we'll win.” He pauses, then adds, “At least stop karking _ swearing on your life, _ would you?”

“Why?” Ahsoka doesn't mean to sound sharp, but she does, a bit. It's _ important _ to her.

“I don't _ want _ you to,” he snaps, razor-sharp. “You can't bet your life on uncertain things, Ahsoka, it doesn't karking increase the chances just because you say something careless.”

“That's literally what war _ is, _ Rex,” Ahsoka says back, fierce. “It's betting your life - and all the lives of the people under you - on _ uncertain things.” _

Rex scowls, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “Don't give me that _ banthashit, _ it's not the same thing.”

“It's close enough! This is just another kind of war, Rex, only it's one where words are the weapons. All your lives are still at stake!” She stares at him, shaking her head. “And I'll always fight with everything I've got to protect you and the rest of the men.”

Rex sighs, deflating, runs his hand over his hair. “Fine. I just don't karking want you swearing on your life to me.”

She swallows and nods, hesitates before stepping close to him again, reaching up to almost cup his face before hesitating and dropping her hand again. “I'm sorry,” she says, very soft.

Rex just nods, rests a hand on her waist, and she closes her eyes. She's so _ scared _ of losing him, she realizes suddenly - he says she won't but if this bill passes-

It won't pass. That's why, part of why, she _ has _ to make sure it's defeated - because her whole _ life _ with Rex is at stake.

“Do you think I could ever take a padawan?” she asks, quietly, considering (and yes, it's a rather obvious change of subject, but she doesn't want to think about how close all her men are to losing _ everything _ anymore). “Not right away, of course, I'm not ready yet, but… I don't know, I'm not sure I'd be a good teacher.”

“If you want to,” he says, smiling a bit. “I don't know, figure you'll figure it out if you want.”

She sighs. “I hate how uncertain the future is right now,” she admits, feels small. “All I know is that I love you and I don't want to lose you, I-” and she stops, hesitant. “Have you ever wondered what… what our life could've been like? If I wasn't a Jedi and there wasn't a war.”

She tried not to _ let _ herself think and dream about it, but now- now maybe they could _ have _ some of those dreams, if they can- can just get through this, and she doesn't quite know what to think about that.

~~~

Rex sighs, shaking his head, and walks back over to lean against Ahsoka’s fighter. He feels too tired to just  _ stand, _ he doesn’t know why. Just now he wants Cody, or Fives, or just his brothers.

“I wouldn’t exist,” he says, half-teasing, raising an eyebrow. “I literally don’t exist without the war, ‘Soka.” There’s something ironic about that.

“You know what I mean, Rex,” she says, shaking her head.

“Yeah.” He looks down, hooks his thumbs in his belt. “No, I don’t really wonder. It hasn’t been on my radar.”

“Would you ever… want a future?” Ahsoka asks, hesitantly. “Like…” and she stops, shakes her head. “Oh, never mind. We should go back to the barracks.”

“You can go,” Rex says, mildly. “I should check up on some things.”

“Do you not want me here right now?” Ahsoka’s looking at his face like he’s a puzzle she’s trying to solve, very carefully, and Rex shrugs.

“I don’t know. I- Sorry.” He reaches over, cups her cheek to quickly kiss her forehead. “Yeah.”

“Alright,” she says quietly. “If you need me, I’m here.” She catches his fingers in hers, squeezes them briefly, and turns around to go. Rex watches her leave, not sure quite what he’s feeling, then sighs and runs his hand over the edge of the wing of her fighter.

They want to take away what little he and his brothers have now. Their armor, their weapons, their battalions, their Jedi - they would replace all of that with days spent wandering on Kamino and trying to pretend that that aren’t just glorified prisoners. Rex fought this war for duty and then for his code and now for his honor, but he’ll be damned if it ends in a mass incarceration of his people. What he told Ahsoka is true, he’s never really thought or dreamed about what would come after the war, but he wants the chance to  _ try _ to.

And the Senate is trying to  _ take that away. _ Because they can’t own up to what they did, because the idea of millions of clone troopers outside of their control scares them.

Well, it karking  _ should. _

Rex leaves the hangar in a hurry, not sure where he’s going except that he needs to be by himself, needs to be able to do something with this anger before he makes a mistake and lashes out at someone. Again.

He ends up in the mess. The mess is full of his men, of other brothers, and too many of them look at him when he walks in, and they’re coming over to him to ask more questions.  _ What are we going to do? We’re going to make them pay, right? How could they do this? What happens if the bill passes? _

Rex fumbles out answers to the questions, snapping, sharp, gets himself a mug and goes to the coolers of drinks - one is water, the other is  _ labelled _ water but is actually Dip’s moonshine, and it’s the moonshine that Rex fills his mug with.

He sits down, swallows back nearly half the cup of alcohol at once, and it’s strong enough to make his eyes and throat burn but it’s something.

“You okay, boss?” Dip asks, coming over to sit across from him.

“Leave,” Rex growls.

“Okay, don’t lemme interrupt.” Dip reaches over to pat his shoulder, and Rex sips at what’s left of his moonshine as his  _ vod _ gets up and saunters off. Best guess, Dip is already halfway to drunk.

At that point, his  _ vode _ stop trying to talk to him, and Rex drinks his moonshine and fiddles with his vibroblade. The hum of his brothers’ voices, without his having to talk right now, helps. He can tell their voices apart. No one brother sounds  _ exactly _ like another. They aren't a bunch of kriffing robotic carbon copies.

He gets up twice to get more to drink, the the second time when he comes back, Cody is sitting casually on the bench across from where he's been sitting.

“Hand that here, would you,  _ vod?” _ Cody asks, so Rex sits down and pushes his mug across the table to Cody. “Not liking this too much, I take it?” Cody says, dryly.

“No one's even gonna protest the bill,” Rex says. Not that it matters, but, “There're people in Coruscant that've been protesting the war and the clones for  _ months, _ now, but nobody's gonna give a shit about this. It's what they  _ want.” _

Cody grunts noncommittally and takes a long sip of moonshine. “Karking civilians.”

Rex snorts.

“I don’t know how to fix this, Cody,” he says. “All I can do is fight, and I’d do that, but it would just make everything worse. Even if we  _ get  _ to speak to the Senate, what are we supposed to say? ‘Please don’t lock us up, we’ll be good.’ It’s not gonna  _ work.” _

“Yeah, I know.” Cody pushes the mug back to Rex and crosses his arms on the table. “The Jedi will help. But I’m not sure anyone has enough influence to change the fact that everyone kriffing hates us.”

“Associating with us made the  _ Jedi _ less popular,” Rex says, tiredly, rubbing his forehead and twisting his other hand very tight around the mug of moonshine. He sort of wants to break it. “I don’t think they can just  _ reverse _ that.”

Cody nods. “So what do we do if they pass the bill,  _ vod?” _ He says that quietly, a bit challenging, like he needs Rex to have an actual answer. “You thought about that?”

“Yeah.” Rex grits his teeth. “We’d just have to fight. Get all the  _ vode _ together who weren’t afraid to and make a stand. They couldn’t really lock us all up if we didn’t let them, you know that.”

“Yeah. I know.” Cody half-smiles, a bit dangerous. “I don’t like the idea of trying to play their games so they might like us enough to admit we’re Human.  _ Demagolkase, _ most of them, pretending to think the war is terrible now that it’s not popular.”

“Well, we have to win our rights somehow,” Rex says, heavily, pausing to knock back the last of his drink. “But I’d rather not have to do it with blood.”

“No,” Cody agrees.

“I want to spar,” Rex says, pushing himself to his feet and leaving his cup. “Up for it?”

“Hells, yeah,” his  _ ori’vod _ says, getting up too.

So they go to one of the training rooms, and they spar, and they’re not careful about it. Neither of them wants to pull their punches just now.

~~~

There are many things about the Jedi Council and the Senate that are on opposite ends of a spectrum, but the ability to  _ argue, _ Plo reflects, is shared between both institutions.

He, Masters Yoda, Windu, and Kenobi, as well as Senators Bail Organa, Mon Mothma, and Padme Amidala are ensconced in chairs in one of the lesser-used briefing rooms, the occasional interruption coming in the form of protocol droids bringing refreshments (not exactly usual for the Council, but Obi-Wan had brought up the idea that it’d probably be polite, considering they’re entertaining Senators), where they’ve been for the past, oh, three standard hours, give or take - no one’s been paying  _ all _ that much attention to the time. Given the usual length of Council meetings these days, it’s really not that bad, but…

Plo thinks that, given that they’ve been discussing the same issue for the past three hours, they should’ve come to  _ some _ conclusion by now.

“If we oppose this bill on purely humanitarian terms,” Senator Organa says, now, “it will do nothing. The Senate is not what it should be,” an understatement, really, “and corruption runs deeper than compassion. We  _ must _ still raise the issue of money - which the Republic is critically short on, right now - or we will not have the votes.”

“The Jedi Order is a humanitarian organization,” Obi-Wan says, lightly, although his face is creased (with pain, Plo thinks - Obi-Wan should not be out of the medbay, wheelchair or no, but he’s been insisting on extra Force healing sessions lately  _ anyway, _ and with the fates of his men in the balance…). “We cannot ourselves back you on any other grounds, you must know that.”

“I’m aware of that,” Senator Organa says,  _ almost _ sharp, certainly frustrated - it’s been a long morning. “But the clones are an  _ investment, _ Masters, in the Senate’s eyes - this is not a humanitarian issue to them. It’s a question of economics, of what to do so the Republic doesn’t lose the trillions of credits it’s invested into the creation of its Grand Army.”

“Not entirely,” Senator Amidala says, speaking up for the first time in a while, and Plo prods the Force curiously, finds frustration from Organa, serenity (masking exhaustion) from Mon Mothma, and  _ resolve _ from Amidala herself. “Part of the issue here is that most people are afraid of the clones.”

“You see clearly,” Yoda says, nodding. “Afraid of the clones, the Republic is - afraid of the Jedi, they are becoming. Afraid of us holding power.”

“Palpatine had been encouraging the belief that the Jedi were trying to take over the Republic,” Mothma says, unfolding and refolding her hands in her lap, thoughtful. “Given that fact, it’s not really surprising that the general public no longer trusts the Jedi with the command of an army.”

“We never asked for this responsibility,” says Mace, through gritted teeth. “It was Palpatine who pressed it on us to begin with.”

“That is not in question,” Plo interjects, mildly, because they have had this discussion, both in the Council and in private, amongst themselves, multiple times since the confrontation. 

“If I may,” Obi-Wan says, suddenly, “how is it that we have been discussing the clones’ fate for three hours and there’s still not a single clone present?”

Plo blinks.

“Ah,” he says. “Yes.”

“A good point, Master Kenobi,” Organa agrees. 

“With your permission,” Obi-Wan says, inclining his head at the trio of Senators, “I’ll comm my first-in-command, Cody. As a Marshal Commander, he’d be a good choice. I don’t think the other three are on Coruscant right now…”

“They are not,” Mace says. “Master Secura and Bly are retaking Felucia-”  _ again _ “-Bacara is overseeing the cleanup of the Outer Rim sieges, and I believe Neyo is en route to Coruscant with his battalions.”

“I think Cody is an excellent choice,” Plo says, nodding. “Regardless of his rank, he is well-known and seems to be universally trusted by the clones.”

“Then, by all means, comm him,” Organa says, and Obi-Wan nods and tunes his wristcomm, taps it a couple times.

“Cody? Come in, Cody.”

_ “What do you need, General?” _

“Can you meet me in Briefing Room C in the Temple, please?” 

_ “On my way.” _

Plo thinks that finally, they’ll be able to make some progress.

~~~

Cody, quite naturally, expects General Kenobi to need him in Briefing Room C for a  _ briefing. _ That is, after all, what briefing rooms are  _ for,  _ and even though there’s been an end to the war in the political sphere, deactivating whole armies of droids and convincing hostile systems in the Outer Rim to stand down is going to be an ongoing process for a while. Although his General is still  _ decidedly _ not allowed on the battlefield, Cody is perfectly capable of leading the 212th on his own, and has done so on a number of occasions.

If he had realized that he was walking in on a meeting with three Senators and half the Jedi Council, he would have at least changed into his dress greys. As it is, he steps into the briefing room and is confronted with the sight of a number of semi-comfortable chairs, protocol droids, food,  _ wine, _ and a number of disgruntled looks (not, he thinks, directed at him).

“Generals,” he says, stiffly, stopping inside the door and clasping his hands behind his back. “Senators.”

A protocol droid waddles over to him with a tray full of fruit, and Cody shakes his head, reaching up to pull his bucket off, at least. He pretends not to notice how amused General Kenobi looks at his expense. Cody will allow him his entertainment, since he’s injured, but he doesn’t appreciate the lack of warning.

“Come have a seat, Cody,” General Kenobi says, smoothly, gesturing at an open chair next to him, and Cody raises one eyebrow, minutely:  _ are you sure? _ “We wanted your input in our deliberations - we’re discussing Senator Burtoni’s bill.”

“Ah,” Cody says. “I see.” He hesitates a moment, then walks over to the seat his General indicated and sits down, trying to get as comfortable as he can manage in full armor. Another protocol droid pauses to ask if he wants wine, and he considers taking one - but he’s never had wine, and he’s not particularly interested in trying it, so he shakes his head and the droid putters off.

General Windu starts talking, something about a point he was making earlier, but Cody ignores him for a moment in favor of leaning over toward his General and saying, quietly, “You could have warned me this was a political meeting.”

“I suppose,” Kenobi says, lightly, smiling. “But that wouldn’t be very fun, would it?”

Cody raises an eyebrow at him, dry.

“Please do realize you can speak your mind,” Kenobi adds, more seriously. “I called you in solely because we realized - a little late, I’m afraid - that we were once again discussing things that would affect you without your opinion in the matter. I apologize.”

Cody nods, and leans back so he can focus on the conversation at hand.

General Windu is saying that the Jedi can’t continue to take and hold political and economic stances - they’re trying to become  _ less _ involved in the Republic’s politics, not  _ more. _ Senator Organa is saying that they have to focus on the economic side of the bill, which seems reasonable since the Senate is a bunch of selfish assholes.

“If we don’t start promoting the humanitarian aspect of this now,” Senator Amidala says, glancing at Cody, “then after this bill is dealt with, it will be much harder to work on achieving other rights for the clones. We can’t appear to be treating them like products ourselves if we want to tell other people to think differently.”

Cody nods, quietly. He is content reserving his opinion for the moment, until he's aware of the discussion.

“Fair enough,” Senator Organa says. “But I still want to spearhead this from a business and economic standpoint.”

General Kenobi is frowning, resting his chin on his folded hands. Cody can’t tell if it’s because of the discussion or because he’s in pain, and he resolves to keep an eye on him.

“How would you do that, precisely?” General Windu asks, politely.

“It would be more expensive for the Republic to maintain the facilities to feed and house all the troops than it would be for them to simply declare their terms of service up,” Senator Organa says, which seems like good sense to Cody.

“That doesn’t change the fact that they’re afraid of the army,” Senator Mothma, the red-haired one, points out. Cody grimaces. “They’ll probably consider the expense worth it to put their constituents at ease.”

“Then we should put them at ease through  _ humanitarian _ means,” General Kenobi says, pointedly. “If we can convince them that the  _ vode _ aren’t going to be a threat to their people, then I’m sure they won’t be anxious to turn out their pockets.”

“Unless they want to keep a cheap standing army.” General Windu leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “They consider the clone army an investment, an a significant one at that, if I’m not mistaken. Isn’t it possible they would want to continue to exploit that, besides just locking the troopers up? Frankly, practicality and public opinion are against you on this. The moral grounds of the argument are the main ones we have.”

“I still believe we can make a financial case,” Senator Organa says.

“Not a strong enough one.”

“Well, then, how do you propose we appeal to the moral sensibilities of our… oftentimes uninterested colleagues?” Organa asks, raising an eyebrow. He’s smiling a little, but Cody thinks he’s stressed.

Cody shifts in his chair. He’s still of the opinion that they really won’t be able to convince the Senate. And his back is bruised from sparring yesterday and it’s uncomfortable.

“You mentioned several times that they are afraid of the clones,” General Plo says, thoughtfully. “It would seem our first goal should be to try to change their mind.”

Senator Organa sighs, wearily. “Easier said than done.”

“Yes, we are  _ aware,” _ Kenobi says, grimacing a little, and Cody gives him a sharp look. If he has to karking drag his General back to the medbay and tie him down until he takes the  _ right amount  _ of pain meds, he will.

There’s a moment of quiet, while the Senators and Generals actually stop to  _ think _ (Cody has begun to wonder if they really just talk at each other without having formed ideas), and Cody leans forward a bit and folds his hands tightly together. “I am not sure about how to keep them from being afraid,” he says. Frankly, he doesn’t care  _ who’s _ afraid as long as he and his brothers actually get their karking freedom. “But I expect some of us to be allowed to speak in the Senate. Whatever would help, so long as we get to say our piece.”

General Kenobi smiles a little at him, and for some reason it strikes Cody as almost a  _ proud _ sort of smile. He half-smiles back, then looks back at Senator Amidala, who nods.

“Of course. We can make that happen. Perhaps…” The Senator looks as if she’s had an idea, of some kind, although Cody thinks they’ve all acted like they had  _ good ideas _ half the time he’s been listening. “People don’t know much about you clones as  _ people, _ do they?”

Cody doesn’t like the sound of the question. “No,” he says. “Not particularly. Why?” He still hates the idea of needing to  _ prove _ to anyone that they’re  _ people. _ They shouldn’t karking have to, and it’s exhausting, and he  _ knows _ there probably aren’t better options but he still doesn’t want the Senator to suggest it.

(He doesn’t exactly mean to scowl at her, but he does anyway.)

~~~

Obi-Wan keeps a careful eye on Cody as Padmè says, thoughtfully, “Some of your brothers must have dreams, things they'd always wanted to be able to do. I wonder…” She stops, considering, then nods. “I think it'd be a good idea to have some of you speak in the Senate. I don't think most Senators have really ever _ interacted _ with clones - hopefully seeing you in another setting besides on the battlefield will help them understand.”

Obi-Wan isn't so certain, but he nods. “How long do we have until the vote?” he asks, carefully, folding his hands together and stifling a burst of pain. He really should have let the medics give him pain meds this morning, but he'd been in a _ hurry, _ and so- He sucks in a breath, notes Cody giving him an inscrutable look.

“A week,” Bail Organa says, and Obi-Wan nods to himself.

Maybe a propaganda campaign? That's something he and the Council will have to discuss - he's not sure if they'll be willing to back such a thing or not.

There's another surge of pain from his abdomen, and he grits his teeth and shifts a bit in his chair, trying not to look affected by anything. He's _ fine, _ honestly. Mostly.

“Sir,” Cody says, suddenly,  _ almost _ sharp, “you should be in the medbay.”

“Cody, I'm _ fine,” _ Obi-Wan says, rolling his eyes. 

“Did you take your meds this morning?” his Commander asks, raising an eyebrow.

Padmè stifles a laugh.  _ Honestly. _ It's not _ funny. _

_ “Obviously,” _ Obi-Wan lies through his teeth.

Cody raises the other eyebrow.

“... not. Obviously not,” he corrects himself.

“We can take a recess,” Bail says, sounds like he's torn between amusement and concern. “It's almost lunch, anyway.”

“I  _ really _ don't need-”

“General,” Cody says, standing and glaring down at him, and Obi-Wan sighs.

_ “Fine,” _ he snaps.  _ Honestly, _ his _ kriffing _ Commander. “But I am _ fine, _ Cody.”

“Sure you are,” Cody says. “You've also been impaled.”

Obi-Wan grumbles, but falls quiet anyway. Really, if he keeps arguing it'll just be _ embarrassing. _

~~~

Lunch is brought by more protocol droids, sandwiches and soup and meat and bread and more cheese, and Cody awkwardly takes enough of it to make himself a decent meal and tries to mostly ignore the conversations ongoing around him. Kenobi has taken his meds, with a few too many sour looks at Cody, and now he's the only one talking to Cody.

“How are the men today?” Kenobi asks, and Cody sighs, taking a bite of a (surprisingly good) sandwich.

“Fine,” he says. “What do you expect, sir, everyone's angry and confused and worried. Some of Ghost Company wants go with the 501st and challenge the Senate. They won't, but they want to. Rex says Naas is really worried.” Cody is himself concerned about his  _ ori'vod. _ He thinks Rex is almost angry enough about this to do something stupid. Cody doesn't blame him.

“Of course,” Kenobi says quietly, regretful. “I ought to go see Naas, I haven't for a little while.” His General sighs, rubbing his face, and adds, “I should come to the barracks. It's been entirely too long since I spoke with all of you.”

“Because you almost died,” Cody says, flatly.

“Yes.” Kenobi chuckles, then winces and sips his tea. “That is a bit of a hindrance.”

Cody shakes his head. His General is a karking idiot most of the time. “I’m sure they’d all be glad to see you. They’re worried.” His  _ vode _ are mostly too uncomfortable to try to see Kenobi in the medbay by themselves, which has meant that ever since Kenobi was injured, Cody has been delivering regular reports to the battalion on their General’s health.

“Ah,” General Kenobi says, noncommittally, and Cody stifles an amused smile. “It will be good to be out of the medbay more often.”

As long as he karking  _ takes his meds. _ Cody just smiles and nods at that, though. “I’ll feel better about it myself, sir. There’s been a lot to sort out.”

“I’m sure you’ve handled it admirably.”

“Appreciate it, sir, but you know… Well, the men find your leadership more reassuring than mine,” Cody points out, flatly, shrugging. “You are important to- them.” Without General Kenobi, his battalion would not be where it is now. The whole battalion knows that Kenobi would do anything for them, and  _ has _ before. As stupid as Cody thinks his General is, he also thinks he’s one of the few natural-born sentients that actually values his brothers’ lives as much as his own. There are few enough people Cody trusts, now, but he’d known as soon as Kenobi told him about the bill that whatever the Jedi decided to do, General Kenobi was going to help protect the  _ vode. _ Cody is not unaware of how valuable that is.

Kenobi chuckles a bit, smiling, as if he thinks Cody has said something mildly amusing. “I’m important to  _ them, _ am I?” he says, and Cody shrugs.

“Me too, obviously, sir,” he says, as if he doesn’t feel foolish for saying it. “Didn’t think that needed saying.”

To his surprise, his General chuckles quietly and says,  _ “You’re _ quite important to me too, Cody, don’t concern yourself.”

Cody smiles a little and shakes his head. Karking  _ Kenobi. _ Cody can’t really make sense of him.

After a little bit of quiet eating, the discussion starts up again, with Senator Amidala leaning forward and folding her hands on her lap. “I may have a more specific idea for how you could speak, if I may suggest something, Commander?”

Cody says, “You may,” awkwardly and gruff.

Cody has always thought that Senator Amidala has a certain air about her, a presence not unlike that of his General, one of drive and energy tied with compassion that tends to carry other people with it. He sees this again now as she meets and holds his gaze with a confidence that, in Cody’s experience, only a very few people have. “Suppose you and your men were to talk about what you would lose if this bill were passed?” Cody stiffens, settling one hand over his right bracer, rubbing hard at the fresh paint. “Your dreams for after the war, perhaps, or things you do with your brothers, or friendships you have. Things like that. It would humanize you, very quickly, and in truth you could use the sympathy that would come if you talked about things you would miss.”

“No.” Cody bites it out, short, and sees Kenobi give him a concerned look. But it is the first answer he thinks of, the one he knows she would get from almost any other brother. He slows, holds out a hand, palm out, placating. “I do not think my brothers will want to do that, sir- Senator.” Amidala frowns, almost sympathetic herself, and for some reason that makes Cody want to be angry. Instead, he breathes, and explains. “You were there when Chancellor Palpatine was killed. What he did with the armor Naas had, that is what natural-borns do when they learn what is important to us. We do not- discuss those sorts of things, because you will try to take them away.” And if they don’t know what it meant for Palpatine to destroy the armor, why that was hard for them, he will not explain that, either. He doubts any of them know - he has not even told Kenobi why he wears Rex’s bracer, and he has told Kenobi more things than most.

Amidala, and the rest of them, are quiet for a moment, and Cody looks down, tense. Then Amidala says, carefully, “Wouldn’t it be worth the risk, though? I understand your concern,” Cody doesn’t think she  _ can, _ “but if we could prevent this bill from going through, wouldn’t it at least be worth a try? Not everyone is like Chancellor Palpatine.”

Cody chuckles, lowly, and folds his hands in front of him. “Most people are, in that respect,” he points out. He suspects they think he is being cynical. He is not. “I am not willing to agree to risk what is ours without thinking about this more, and discussing it with more of my brothers. All due respect, but we will decide if it’s worth it.” He gets to his feet, almost without thinking, because this conversation can’t go any further until he’s spoken to more of his  _ vode. _ “We have little enough as it is. I’m sure if you tried you could understand.”

He nods politely to his General, settles his helmet back on his head, and marches out of the briefing room to find his  _ vode. _

~~~

Ahsoka receives the mission briefing from a small, irate Mace Windu glaring up at her through her handheld holoprojector.  _ “The Council needs you to take the 501st and 607th to Zygerria, in the Outer Rim. Your objective is to destroy as much of its army as possible and get Queen Miraj to open negotiations with the Republic, with minimum civilian casualties. We'd give you a more detailed briefing, but,”  _ and Windu looks off to one side briefly,  _ “we're in the middle of a meeting about the Clone Recommissioning bill, and this is a fairly urgent mission.” _

“Understood,” Ahsoka says, leaning away from Rex (she's sitting on his bunk in the barracks, talking with him, Fives, and Echo) so he can start to reach for his armor.

_ “I'm forwarding relevant information to your datapad now,” _ the Jedi Master says.  _ “May the Force be with you.” _

Before she can respond, the holo winks out.

“Sounds like fun,” Rex says lightly, jamming his feet into his boots and clasping his greaves on.

“This time, I think we should plan this one together,” she says, mild - she's a little afraid they won't trust her to make the plans, because after all her history isn't exactly good, but also- she'd much rather have Rex's help than the Son's.

“I think that's a good idea,” he says, and she grins at him before standing.

“Get the battalion loaded up, will you? I've gotta brief Je'kai.” She's not actually sure if Je'kai is still the Commander or not, but no one's been promoted to replace him yet and honestly, it doesn't matter who's _ officially _ in charge, the 607th follows Je'kai anyway. Rex nods, and she spares a smile for Echo and Fives before crossing the barracks. Behind her, she can hear Rex calling out orders, the battalion kitting up, getting ready to go.

She's not quite halfway across the barracks when Je'kai comes up to her, snaps out an easy salute and settles into parade rest. “What do you need, General?”

“We have a mission,” she says. “Get your men kitted up and meet Rex and me in the hangar, I'll brief you once we've got a plan, but we're heading to Zygerria.”

“Yes, sir,” Je'kai says, salutes again and turns on his heel, starts giving his own orders.

She thinks-

She's worried about this, because she's never had a successful campaign as a General, not really, first was the massacre on Mandalore and then the Son, but-

Ahsoka thinks, with her men's help, that she can do this.

~~~

Once the 501st and 607th are on the Resolute, organized and ready for the campaign, Rex and Jesse meet Ahsoka, Je’kai, Fives, and Echo on the bridge with Admiral Yularen. Ahsoka already has a zoomed out holomap of their target pulled up, and she’s looking it over, occasionally looking down at her datapad, presumably to review their briefing on the situation. Rex walks over and falls into parade rest next to Fives, who nods loosely at him.

“This one shouldn’t be too difficult,” Ahsoka says, half to herself, zooming in on the map to a marked area: a fortified city, apparently, walled and (Rex thinks) disorganized. There isn’t much heavy defensive weaponry along the walls, except near the main gate, which Ahsoka looks over more closely.

She turns the map a little, walks partway around the holotable and taps a section of the wall, thoughtful. “If we could draw out whoever they’ve got manning their outer defenses, we could drop transports here and here-” she indicates two different sections of the wall with light taps of her finger- “there’s no anti-aircraft weaponry here.” She pauses, considering. “What do you guys think?”

Rex looks over the terrain outside the wall of the city - it’s mostly flat, although there are some outcroppings of stone and a lot of scrubby brush and plant growth. “How would we draw them out without screwing our forces over?” he asks, noncommittal. There’s not a lot of ground cover, and coaxing their opponents out of a fortified position would require a small enough attack force to make them think they don’t have to be concerned, but that would put their decoy force in a very dangerous position.

Ahsoka is quiet for a minute, staring at the map, chewing on her bottom lip. Rex knows she can come up with something, she’s clever enough and she’s been doing this long enough. And Anakin’s her Master, which Rex still thinks is one of the better advantages she has. Then she shifts, eyes brightening a little, and suggests, “A few squads go in, surgical strikes to take out the heavy weaponry.” Rex nods a little, sees Je’kai and Admiral Yularen doing the same, although Yularen still looks skeptical (Rex thinks the expression is permanent). “Get the enemy to engage, then we retreat, act like we’ve been overrun - Zygerria isn’t military, not really, so I don’t think they’ll recognize the feint.” Not if they’re careful, no. “Or they’ll be overconfident. We make it look sloppy, but then once they’ve taken the bait…” Ahsoka pauses, looking sure of herself, and lightly snaps her hands together. “We’ll drop forces in behind their lines and squash them.”

“I like the part about squashing them,” Fives says, seriously, nodding. “Do we have an estimate on the size of their forces, or where they station most of them?”

“Some.” Ahsoka nods. “We’re looking at about five hundred trained soldiers, mostly manning the walls and guard posts.”

“A more accurate question, ARC trooper Fives,” Yularen says, dryly, “would be how many  _ hostiles _ do we have to deal with. As the General pointed out, we are not dealing with a military culture, so it’s true those five hundred soldiers are trained and stationed as you might expect, but most of our opposition will in fact be from the people themselves.”

“Call it a militia,” Ahsoka says, nodding. “Lucky us, my briefing isn’t really…” she gestures loosely with the datapad, “comprehensive on that subject.”

Civilian opposition is always a problem, because it isn’t organized, it’s often not covered well in mission briefings, if at all, and it can occasionally be the most dangerous. People defending their homes, however right or wrong they may be, have an edge in knowledge and desperation that an invading army just doesn't.

“So say we do ‘squash’ the forces we lured away from the city,” Rex says, thoughtfully, “which seems like a good idea, do you have a plan to get into the city itself? I assume we’d have to improvise in the city itself, somewhat, but prior to that…”

“It’s a wall,” Ahsoka says, wryly, and Rex rolls his eyes. “We have transports. And ascension cables. It’s fairly self-explanatory.”

“Excuse me,” Rex answers, smiling a bit, ignoring Jesse’s snort of laughter. “I was asking how many men you intended to keep back for the invasion force and what we were going to do about the inevitable reaction to our  _ squashing, _ ” he imitates her hand gesture, “the bulk of their trained forces.”

“That depends on how many men they’ve got on the wall,” she says. “As few as we can get away with leaving, we’ll need the bulk of these two battalions to get to the queen.” She grins a bit, sassy, and Rex chuckles. “As for their reaction to being squashed, well, we keep squashing.” She mimes swinging a lightsaber, with a small swishing noise, and Rex stifles a chuckle.

“Ah, that answers all my questions,” he says, dryly, adjusting his stance. “What is our actual goal here, anyway?”

~~~

“Well,” Ahsoka says, eyeing her datapad, “according to Master Windu, it's to _ encourage _ the Zygerrian queen, Miraj, to open negotiations with the Republic. Marshal Commander Bacara has been leading the Outer Rim sieges, but I guess his forces aren't large enough to handle what he's dealing with right now _ and _ Zygerria on top of it, so we were assigned this. We're supposed to minimize civilian casualties, but if I'm honest it's not the civilians I'm worried about.” She hesitates, for a moment.

“What does that mean, exactly, sir?” Fives asks, and she sighs.

“Zygerria is a slave empire,” she says, quietly. “I'm most worried about what the civilians will do with their slaves.”

Everyone goes quiet at that. Fives looks down, swallowing, and Echo puts a hand on his shoulder; Je'kai just nods, eyes dark, like he's remembering something awful. Maybe he is. She doesn't know. “Understood,” Rex says, simply, but quiet.

Jesse just swears, low and under his breath, a Mando'a word unfamiliar to her.

“I'll remain here during the battle,” Yularen says. “If there's any resistance in space, we'll handle it. You and the men should rest.”

Good. “Thanks,” Ahsoka says. Rest is a good idea. She goes back to the barracks with Rex and the others, just sits and watches (for the most part) as Rex and Jesse and Je'kai spread the word, briefing the men. It doesn't take long.

When Rex comes back over to sit next to her, she closes her eyes and reaches for the Force, lets it drift through her, lets herself flow along its currents - it feels Lighter than it has in a long time. The Sith Lords are dead.

The Son is gone, too. It helps.

Eventually, Ahsoka pulls back, opens her eyes, smiles to see Rex still sitting beside her. “Doing alright, sir?” he asks, warm and light and smiling, and she leans into his side some.

“Yeah,” she says, smiles wider because it's _ true. _ “The Force feels so much better, these days.” She doesn't know how to explain it beyond that, but it's still true.

“That's good.” He pulls her closer for just a moment, presses a kiss to her temple, and she hums and leans into the touch.

Just for a moment. There's a battle coming, and she - they - have to be ready. Which means no time for cuddling, as much as she wants to. “I love you,” she says, because she can and there's a battle coming, so just in case. Because he can't promise not to die and she- she-

She won't always be there to protect him. Like Cody said. She has to accept that. (He can protect himself.)

Rex smiles at her, says, “I love you too, cyar'ika,” and she kisses the corner of his mouth, lightly. And then his nose, because she can.

“Well, that's good,” she says, casually, grinning, and then she sits up a bit and sighs. “I wonder how long the hyperspace journey will be.”

She should be getting the men ready, but she wants to spend some time with Rex, first.

“Not sure. Couple hours, probably.”

She nods. “Yularen would know, but I don't feel like asking him. Long enough for us to sit for a bit before we have to go get ready, though.”

Rex's presence next to her has always helped, been stabilizing in a way that has nothing to do with the Force (although his Force-signature is bright and fierce and glowing like a miniature sun, and that's steadying too, it helps) - she takes comfort in that now, leans just a little into his side and holds his hand and doesn't think too much.

She can do this.

She will. For her men. (All the ones with her now, and all the ones she couldn't save before.)


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Sorry it's been a while - as seems to often happen, we got busy and got inspired for other ideas. But here's a new chapter! Also, wish skywalking-across-the-galaxy happy birthday cuz that was a couple days ago!
> 
> Leave us some comments, we'd love it. ;)

The Zygerrian capitol’s defenses are poor. The city is sprawling, disorganized, shades of sand and ochre and brown in blocks of buildings, and the walls themselves are low, with few modern fortifications. The walls are for show, Rex thinks - or perhaps they are simply meant to keep the _slaves_ in, more than to keep invaders out.

A slave empire.

He has never seen one before. It is, somehow, what he expected. A palace jutting high above the rest of the city, sandstone walls and spires in levels, all of it probably built by unwilling workers. There are soldiers swarming the walls, but Rex, standing in a transport beside Ahsoka and Je'kai, can see that there aren’t nearly enough of them left to pose a significant threat. The fighting on the fields outside the walls is not as bad as he had expected - Zygerria's forces really are small, or perhaps simply not very organized. There are flashes of snaking yellow light below them at contrast to the blaster bolts - Ahsoka had looked through a viewfinder and said the enemy had electrified whips, so Rex has passed word along on helmet comms for his men to expect that - it’s not really a weapon they’ve trained against, but he suspects their armor will protect them against whips well enough.

As they come in close to the wall, the Zygerrians start firing with regular blasters and some rocket launchers - it’s an attempt, but Rex just stands holding the overhead straps as his pilots evade the rockets and the blaster bolts zing harmlessly off the transport sides. The transports don’t land, as they pull in close, just drop close enough the top of the wall to allow them to jump out of the transports, and Rex signals for his men to draw their weapons, and draws his own and starts shooting as he readies himself, jumps free of the transport next to Ahsoka and lands in a crouch on the stone wall.

He shoots three Zygerrians before he’s even straightened back up, and a whole line of them falls as his _vode_ do the same thing - the survivors lift whips off their belts, and the weapons hiss to life in yellow sparks.

Rex just shoots again as his Jedi leaps into action, sweeps forward against the ranks of Zygerrians, and although their whips seem able to catch her saber, she is too fast and graceful for them.

Rex presses the assault behind her, with Je'kai, shooting fast and accurate to keep their opponents from finding footing. Because the Zygerrians were not grouped together, it is easy, so easy, to shoot them down and keep forging down the wall. They are not an organized group, and although Rex is keeping his eye out for traps, he thinks they really just were not prepared for an assault of this scale. They’ve been left alone too long.

They take a wide swathe of the wall before Ahsoka orders them to pass an order along to move into the city itself, and Rex and Je'kai relay the order on helmet comms so they and their _vode_ can start down the stairs inside the wall to the streets.

It’s a vulnerable position, but they are fast, fire back at the snipers that have been stationed on the tops of buildings, and Rex keeps his eyes open, watches for hitches in the plan. More transports come in, on an order from Je'kai, set down more of their men inside the city itself now that they’ve cleared space along the wall, and Rex orders his forces into an attack formation to push through the city. The goal is to get to the queen as fast as possible, and then they can see about eliminating the rest of the hostiles and freeing the slaves. The Zygerrians, disorganized as they are, will not be able to stop a coordinated push through the city to the palace. As he anticipated, the march down the first streets is easy - there are snipers on the roofs, but Rex sends men up to the rooftops themselves to take out the snipers, and his ARCs are better than their militia. It’s going smoothly, brutal and fast and effective, the exact kind of strike mission the 501st is built for.

But Rex is mostly concerned, as he knows Ahsoka is, about living shields, about the Zygerrians trying to use their slaves to stop them. As daunting as the prospect is, though, they’ll deal with that if _(when)_ it becomes a problem, and not before.

~~~

Everything is going according to plan until the slaves show up.

Ahsoka's at the head of her forces, grinning with the exhilaration of the fight, the kind of battle she and her men are _meant_ for - fast, destructive, powerful. With the majority of two battalions at full strength behind her, the resistance is swept away.

The whips and electrostaffs are a bit of a problem - early on, one Zygerrian gets lucky and gets a shock whip coiled around one of her troopers, slipping the crack of his armor and sending him screaming to his knees. Ahsoka snaps around, curls one hand into a claw, _yanks_ the unfortunate Zygerrian away from her trooper, flips her saber and cuts the whip’s handle in half, cuts the Zygerrian in half with her follow-through. A few of the Zygerrians take the warning to heart, stick to blasters (if they have blasters) - not that blasters are more effective. The rest of them… not so much. It makes them easier to take down, though.

The Zygerrians are competent with their whips and staffs, but that’s not their problem - the simple fact of the matter is that they have nowhere near the numbers or the training to withstand one of the most elite battalions in the entire GAR. _This_ is the kind of mission the 501st is _built_ for, not like the slow, dragged-out Siege of Mandalore, and Ahsoka knows how to do this.

Then she rounds a corner, sabers out, her men already preparing to fire, and all she sees are _children._

To her men’s credit, the _instant_ she flings a fist up, they all hold, even though there’s a small regiment of Zygerrians with blasters standing behind the- the _blockade,_ a living blockade. Of children.

She sees a small Togruta girl hunched over, a Twi’lek brother and sister clinging to each other, a couple of Zygerrian kids, a Cerean boy and a Wookiee, and probably about ten other children all huddled together in the middle of the street. All collared, most of them crying.

A Zygerrian with a holstered blaster and a whip in one hand steps forward, says, casually but designed to carry, “Jedi, take one more step forward and these slaves will pay the price.”

Ahsoka _smiles,_ fierce, baring her fangs, snaps, “I’m not playing your games,” and _reaches._

The collars (likely shock collars, from what she’d read on her datapad) spark and pull off the children’s necks. And one of the guards at the end lifts his blaster and buries a bolt in the head of a crying young Near-Human boy.

Ahsoka sees _red._

She snarls, _sharp,_ because how kriffing _dare they,_ the boy slumps to the ground, dead, a _child,_ broken and lost because of these _sleemos,_ and, and, she is _not going to stand for it._

So she _leaps_ forward, grabbing onto the threads of the Force, puts all her weight and strength and _anger_ behind her booted foot when she smashes it into the spokesperson’s stupid pointy face. He goes flying back, neck snapping around, and as she lands she ignites her sabers again, lashes out, and two heads roll to the ground.

“Anyone else?” she calls, challenging, and like the words are a cue, the entire group of some ten Zygerrians snaps out whips and blasters and charges.

It only takes a moment - she’s just a distraction, really, dancing and twisting between glimmering lashes of golden electricity while her men get the children out of the way and run forward, and then the Zygerrians really don’t stand a chance.

When they’re all dead and all that’s left is a huddled semicircle of fifteen children, Ahsoka extinguishes her sabers and turns to Je’kai, says, “Je’kai, take your battalion and the three new companies and make for the palace. Surround it, don’t let anyone in or out, and wait for orders.”

Je’kai nods, snaps out a salute, and starts barking orders into his wristcomm, already moving out, gesturing at the red-painted troops with him, and Ahsoka pushes past the troops standing guard around the kids (good of them, and this is why she loves her men, the way they _understand),_ kneels down by the little Tog girl (who’s huddled in a tiny ball, knees tucked against her chest), makes the deliberate switch to Togruti, says, _“Hello, little one.”_

The girl blinks, tentative, says, _“You-”_ and stops, hesitantly touches her own forehead, where Ahsoka’s akul teeth are.

 _“Yep,”_ Ahsoka says, smiling. _“They’re akul teeth. Do you want to see them?”_

 _“I can’t-”_ She shakes her head.

 _“Here,”_ Ahsoka says, and pulls her akul teeth down, holds them out. _“See? You can touch them.”_

 _“They- aren’t mine,”_ the girl says, but she uncurls one hand from her stick-thin leg, shakily traces her fingertip over one of the teeth. _“You- a real huntress,”_ and she swallows, says, _“You killed the Master.”_

 _“I did,”_ Ahsoka agrees, returns her tooth headdress to its proper position. _“He hurt you. What’s your name?”_

The girl looks like she doesn’t know what to do with this information, but she takes a deep breath and says, _“Kila. I’m… Kila.”_

_“Well, I’m Ahsoka Tano. Do you know your clan name, Kila?”_

Kila shakes her head, and Ahsoka takes in the pale, dried-out look to her purple-striped headtails and montrals, how _small_ she is, and makes a decision. _“Well, come on, then,”_ she says, offers out a hand. “Rex, can I have one of your emergency ration bars?”

“Yeah, here,” Rex says, and when she over at him to get the ration bar he’s grinning at Kila.

“Thanks,” she says, and then carefully takes a bite of the bar before offering it out to Kila. _“Here, you should eat this.”_

 _“It’s safe?”_ The girl eyes the white bar suspiciously, frowning, and Ahsoka smothers a smile.

 _“Yeah, it’s safe, promise.”_ As soon as Kila takes the ration bar, sniffing it dubiously before taking a careful bite, Ahsoka looks back at Rex and says, “We should get these kids back to the _Resolute.”_

“Yeah, I know,” he says, and then waves at a couple of his brothers (one of whom is struggling to extricate himself from the Twi’lek girl’s grip on his leg), quietly orders them to take a squad and get the children to a transport.

“Wait,” Kila says, in accented Basic, eyes wide, “I don’t-” She cringes at the instant attention from half the troops around her, continues, _“I don’t want to go back, Huntress, I want to stay with you, I can- show you where the Masters are.”_

 _“Just call me Ahsoka,”_ Ahsoka says, easily, and then sets a careful hand on Kila’s shoulder. _“There’s going to be a lot of fighting, little one. My men will take you to our ship, up in space,”_ and she points up at the sky, _“and it’s safe up there. No Masters. And as soon as I’m done down here, I’ll be coming right back.”_

Kila shakes her head, uncurls herself lightning-fast and huddles into Ahsoka’s arm, pressing her face into Ahsoka’s shoulder - she hugs the girl, careful not to trap her. _“No! No, I’m staying-”_ And she stops, suddenly, flinches, says, _“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean-”_

 _“Hey, hey, easy there,”_ Ahsoka says. _“It’s okay, Kila, I’m not going to hurt you. You’re safe now, alright?”_

 _“I don’t like them,”_ Kila says, small. _“The faceless white ones.”_

“Well, look,” Ahsoka says, stands up and hoists Kila up into her arms. “This is Rex. The rest of these men are his brothers. Boys, can you all take your helmets off for a minute?”

They all do, most of them slowly - _most_ of them are aware enough of the children to be careful.

“See? Not faceless.” Ahsoka pauses, then adds, _“Rex here is my mate.”_

Kila blinks, tilts her head to one side, and says, “Really? Cool.”

“Say hello, Rex,” Ahsoka says, and _maybe_ she smirks at him just a bit.

Rex rolls his eyes at her, grins and says, “Hey, kid.”

“You have hair,” Kila says, very matter-of-fact.

“You call _that_ hair?” Tup walks over from where he’s been leaning against a building, tugging his hair down from the bun he usually keeps it in. “Look at _this, ad’ika. This_ is hair.”

 _“Can I touch it?”_ Kila asks, looking over at Ahsoka, and Ahsoka laughs.

“You should ask Tup that yourself,” she says, adjusting Kila in her arms - for such a small little thing, the girl is _heavy._

Kila shakes her head, buries her face in Ahsoka’s shoulder again.

“Tup, Kila here wants to know if she can touch your hair,” Ahsoka says, and carefully frees one of her hands enough to sign _take her back._

“Sure,” Tup says, and signs back an _affirmative._ “But you’ll have to let me carry you.”

Kila shifts back and forth, anxiously, then says, “You’ll come back, Huntress Ahsoka?”

Ahsoka grimaces a bit, but says, “Promise. Tup will keep you safe until I do, okay, Kila?”

Kila nods, although she doesn’t entirely look convinced, and lets Ahsoka hand her over to Tup, immediately picks at a piece of his hair, looking utterly _fascinated,_ and although she looks back once, anxious, when the squad starts heading back towards the wall and the transports, she doesn’t fight. Good, that’s good - Ahsoka didn’t want to have to protect a _child_ in the middle of a battle.

She waits for the kids to be gone around the corner before she claps her hands together and says, “Alright, boys, let’s go free some slaves.”

~~~

The men form back up, on their own, easy as breathing, and Rex falls in next to Ahsoka, lifting his blasters and grinning. “Sounds good, _Huntress Ahsoka.”_

“Shut up,” Ahsoka says, flipping him off. “It’s a Togruti title.”

“Yeah, I guessed,” Rex answers, lightly, lets it go at that. It’s a title that makes sense, but it sounds kriffing odd.

“I told you, hair is cool. By the way.” Ahsoka is grinning, and Rex rolls his eyes and looks down one of the sidestreets they’re marching past.

“Yeah, still don’t get it.” If they’re going to find as many of the slaves as quickly as possible, they’ll need a standard search formation, and then somewhere to send the slaves when they get them out - they can’t send squads back every time they find people. “I think we should bring a transport down somewhere closer to where we’re searching, so we can send people to it ourselves,” Rex says to Ahsoka, signalling to the companies behind them to start broadening the search radius. “We don’t have the men to spare for anything else.”

“I agree,” Ahsoka says, nodding, so Rex goes on comms to call in a couple pilots and order a squad of men to stay behind to help the people that come their way. As he does, Ahsoka’s got her head tilted, listening, then snaps out, “This way,” and takes off running down a different street.

Rex runs after her, doesn’t even have to signal for his men to follow. The streets here are clear, because of the fighting and thanks to Je’kai and the other half of the battalion, so Rex can focus on sending men through the houses and market buildings to find people. After the first few people they send to the transports, he has them just leave their helmets off and clipped to their belts, because despite the fact they’re breaking the collars off the slaves, most of those slaves are still jittery around the _vode._ At least the lack of helmets helps some.

He’s sure there will be more people to find, after the battle is over, but for now he thinks they’ve recovered enough of them that there won’t be much danger to remaining slaves or Rex’s battalions, and they keep on towards the palace until they get close enough through the streets that he can see Je’kai’s men in ranks around the palace.

He and Ahsoka make their way through the men to Je’kai, to check in; he tells them they’re all clear, and that there’s been no attempts at fight or flight from the palace. That should be representative of the actual situation, although their intelligence could be missing pieces - Rex would prefer not to charge in to find the place empty because they hadn’t known about an escape route.

But they’ll deal with that if it’s an issue. They’ve blocked off the area as well as can be expected.

Ahsoka comms the Senator in charge of negotiations, tells him that they should be able to get him in for his _chat_ with the queen in a few minutes, so long as all goes to plan. Then Ahsoka nods to Rex and Je’kai, and they order a full company to follow them into the palace. The rest of the men are guarding the place, on standby.

They have some carefully-collected schematics of the palace, which Ahsoka sends to all the battalion squadleaders, and then they storm in.

The elaborate front doors crash open with a satisfying _crash_ of wood on stone, and Ahsoka and the _vode_ flood the halls. Rex goes on helmet comms, reminds them all to keep an eye out for any palace slaves, but otherwise to work up toward the throne room. He expects another attempt at shielding the queen with slaves, but he would _personally_ like to see them try so he can send them all to hells. Twice, if necessary. He thinks the feeling is widespread - his _vode’s_ feet make a rhythm of thunder and anger on the polished floors, stain the tiles red and brown with the dust on their boots, and his _vode_ quash what little Zygerrian resistance they meet. Clearly, the queen isn’t bothering to try to stop their approach - she’ll try to make a stand wherever she’s holed herself up, with a guard force and most likely some civilian or slave hostages.

Ahsoka is right next to him, sabers out and humming, and Rex glances over at her and smiles fiercely. “How long do you think it’ll take the queen to realize she’s screwed?” he says, warm and sharp.

“Oh, about the time I walk through the door, probably,” she says, grinning in a razor-sharp show of teeth.

“If not sooner,” Rex agrees, almost wanting to laugh. If the Zygerrians don’t know they’re screwed _now,_ he sure as hells won’t mind convincing them. Neither, he thinks, will his men - he looks back at them all as they come into a wide hallway leading to a set of doors that he _suspects_ are the last before they hit the throne room, sees an eagerness in their steps.

Ahsoka holds up a hand to stop them, though, and they all obey, instantly. For a moment, it’s all quiet.

“They’ll try to use the door as a chokepoint,” she says.

Rex nods. “And it wouldn’t be a bad strategy. I think we should blow up the doorway.”

Ahsoka smirks, fierce and pleased. “With pleasure. Fives?”

The ARC trooper pushes past a few _vode_ to them, hefting his twin blasters and keeping one eye on the doors at the end of the hall. “Did I hear you say we needed to blast a door to shreds?” he asks, cheerfully.

“You did indeed.” Ahsoka gestures grandiosely at their target. “Care to do the honors?”

“Oh hells yes.” Fives turns and hollers for a rocket launcher (which is a perfectly reasonable request), and the rest of them stand with weapons loosely at the ready as Fives, quick and efficient and grinning, grabs the new weapon from a _vod_ from their artillery squad and steps up next to Rex.

With the risk of enemy blasterfire at any minute, Fives doesn’t waste time taking his shot, although he looks like he’d _like_ to brag a little. He braces the launcher against his shoulder, grins at Ahsoka, and fires - the rocket shatters the doors and some of the frame and wall around them in a burst of flame and pressure that Rex can slightly feel where he stands.

“It’s all yours, General,” Fives says, with a grin.

~~~

Ahsoka strides through the smoke and dust and debris still falling to the ground around her, _maybe_ smirking just a bit - she’s _definitely_ not using any of Anakin’s extra-dramatic tricks to make her entrance more impressive, not at all. The throne room is long and vaulted (and very _dusty,_ at the current moment, Ahsoka takes a fair amount of pride in that - and so does Fives, if the sudden surge of _amusement_ and- spite? - is any indication); about halfway down the room huddles a group of cowed slaves of all species. They’d apparently been surrounded on three sides by a group of guards with blasters and whip handles, but the concussive forces from the blast that destroyed the elegant, arched doorway and caved in much of the wall around it knocked many of the guards off their feet.

Ahsoka finishes that job with a wave of her hand, then concentrates for long enough to pull collars off several of the slaves - a few of her men hurry forward to finish removing the shock collars and to escort the scared sentients over to one side, and she stands in the falling dust, hands resting lightly on her saber hilts, and waits.

Only when all the slaves are out of the way does she step forward.

Queen Miraj and her court are gathered around the throne, looking rather discomfited now that their living shields are gone. The queen herself is slim but deadly looking, wearing rich blue and with a Kiros bird on her shoulder. To her credit, Ahsoka supposes, she’s reclining on her throne _almost_ totally unconcerned, nearly bored looking, just the tension in her shoulders, the over-deliberacy of her movements, and the fear in the Force betraying her.

The only one of the Zygerrians who _doesn’t_ feel afraid is a richly-dressed man standing near the throne, watching Ahsoka with a fascination in his eyes that makes her feel mildly unclean.

“Queen Miraj,” Ahsoka says, stepping forward more, Rex at her right shoulder, “thank you for your hospitality.” Someone, she thinks it’s Fives, snorts. “I am Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano, here to… discuss your terms of assimilation into the Republic. If you would order your troops to stand down, we can discuss this politely without more unnecessary loss of life.”

“We do not surrender,” Miraj says, steadily, lifting her chin, eyes going steely. Her guards (who have mostly made it back to their feet again) lift their blasters, and Ahsoka hears her men respond, lifts up a hand to halt them before they can start firing.

“Wait,” she says, calmly. “Maybe I should… clarify some things for you.”

There’s a pause.

“As of this moment,” Ahsoka starts, “my men have this palace surrounded. The majority of your slaves in the city have been freed and are being safely escorted offworld. What’s left of your forces are severely outnumbered.” Miraj stirs just a bit, but Ahsoka’s not done. “You have two options here, Queen - either you open negotiations with the Republic, or my men raze your empire to the ground and leave you struggling to rebuild with the ashes.” She crosses her arms, narrows her eyes. “No more slavery, Miraj. Whether you agree or not, your slave containment centers will be torn down.”

Miraj hisses and sits more upright, her bird struggling to stay perched on her shoulder. “I don’t take orders from _Jedi,”_ she snaps, and her guards take a couple steps forward, blasters priming.

“Maybe not,” Ahsoka says, easily, again lifting a hand to keep her men back - they’re angry, she can feel it. The anger has been building since the first steps into the city, really since the news about _slaves as living shields_ was distributed after the briefing, and now it’s reaching a peak. She thinks the recently-proposed bill has a lot to do with the anger. “But you’re smart, Miraj. You know that fighting us isn’t a profitable decision. You’ll lose a lot more if we burn your empire down, rather than giving you a chance to adapt.”

Miraj… Miraj _hesitates,_ looking considering, one hand absently stroking her Kiros bird. “You make a fine point,” she acknowledges after a moment.

The well-dressed Zygerrian steps forward, frowning sharply. “And what right, what _authority,_ does a little snip of a thing like you have to tell _my queen and I_ how to run our world?” He drags his leering gaze up and down her body, almost demonstratively, and she can’t help a shiver.

Bastard. He still doesn’t feel afraid, just _smug._

She flicks her eyes to Rex, nods at him once, and tucks her hands behind her back, trying to stave off the feeling like grease crawling across her skin.

~~~

Rex is fed up. And this gods-damned slaver bastard is staring at Ahsoka like he’s pricing her on the market, like he wants to chew her up and spit her out, and it’s time for these people to stop acting like they hold any of the cards.

At Ahsoka’s nod, he lifts his blaster pistol and fires a clean shot through the sneering Zygerrian’s left eye, and he topples slow and crashes to the floor in front of the queen’s throne. Let them argue with that. He wouldn’t mind giving the queen something more substantial to think about, either.

Ahsoka gives him a bit of an exasperated look - he supposes maybe she thinks he was being excessive, but if she wants him to be nice she has to say so. Then she turns back to the queen and smoothly says, “I believe that answers that question.”

Rex can’t entirely keep from smirking behind his helmet.

The queen raises an eyebrow, although Rex still catches what looks like a flicker of concern on her face before she manages to look utterly disinterested. “I suppose it does,” she says, distastefully. She glances at Rex himself, somewhat calculating, then says to Ahsoka, “You make your point, Jedi. Perhaps you would be willing to remind me what you were suggesting, and we could attempt to resolve this disagreement without any further… unpleasantness.” She looks away from Rex and back at Ahsoka, smiling - Rex isn’t sure if it’s the sharp teeth or the clenched hands, but the queen isn’t really making him think she wants to resolve anything. Not that he’s surprised, she’s probably having a bad day.

Now him, personally, _he’s_ having a great time.

“I was _suggesting_ -” except they all know it wasn’t a suggestion, “-that you speak with my friend, Senator Organa, about signing a treaty with the Republic.”

The queen nods, studiously polite, although Rex thinks she could stand some acting lessons, she looks like she’s going to goug scratches in the arms of her throne. “Very well, then, I will discuss this with him.”

Ahsoka signals for some of the men to _escort_ the queen as she stands up from her throne to come stand across from Ahsoka on the floor of the throne room, her bird fluttering nervously around her pointed ears. Rex tightens his grip on his blasters, although he thinks that this queen is an opportunist, not a complete fool. Ahsoka initiates and then supervises the discussion with Organa by way of a holoprojector - Rex is somewhat amused that Organa, most of the queen’s court, and the queen herself all share the same look of barely-veiled distaste with the proceedings.

Gods, Rex wishes they could just burn this place down anyway. He knows he should be glad they seem to be reaching a more peaceful solution, but Rex’s faith in the Republic is… perhaps less strong, lately, and Rex can practically feel the hostility in the air - the slavers hate them, and Rex’s men hate this entire place. Hells, it might be cathartic, ripping this place to pieces.

But Rex doesn’t indulge those thoughts too long - they’re helping no one, least of all himself, and he’s angry enough as it is. This will have to be satisfying enough, the knowledge that they _could,_ if they had to, that they got these _demagolkase_ running scared.

After an exhaustingly lengthy preliminary discussion, Ahsoka, Rex, and Je’kai inform the queen that Je’kai is, in fact, in charge from here on out until further talks with the Republic have concluded, and that the 607th will be occupying the planet with complete jurisdiction for the time being. That means, Rex reminds them, that the battalion is authorized to respond in force if the Zygerrians break off negotiations or attempt to operate outside of their new boundaries.

Ahsoka assigns Fives to stay with Je’kai and act as support, tells them that the 104th or another relief battalion should arrive within the week to begin freeing the slaves and attempting to relocate them, and after helping Je’kai organize his forces, the 501st draws back out of Zygerria’s capital to the _Resolute._

Rex is tired, sweaty, angry, and all in all quite pleased with the day’s work. From his count so far, he doesn’t think they even sustained many casualties, although he’ll have to go over all the logistics in more detail later. As he’s done more times than he’ll ever be able to count, now, he oversees his troops cleaning up after the mission, makes a mental note of what will need resupplied, who might need to be ordered to the medbay, and whether anything is particularly out of order, and then, also as usual, he heads for the medbay himself to check on their injured. Ahsoka comes with him, and Rex doesn’t have to be a Jedi to know how she’s feeling - she’s smiling smug and proud, chin lifted and hands on her sabers.

“Not too bad, General,” he teases, lightly, folding his hands behind his back.

“Damn right it wasn’t, Commander,” Ahsoka answers, grinning at him.

Rex chuckles. “I have to be honest with you, ‘Soka, I wish we’d gotten to blow the damn place off the map. I can’t help but get the feeling it’s not going to be simple, trying to get them to drop their slave trade.”

“I know,” Ahsoka says, sighing and looking more serious, which won’t do at all. “I agree with you there.”

“You should,” Rex says. “I’m usually right, you know.”

Ahsoka raises an eyebrow at him, trying to look unimpressed, but she’s still suppressing a smile. “Is that what you call it?”

“Generally, yeah. Comes with being a good Commander, _cyar’ika.”_

They continue bantering lightly back and forth until they reach the medbay, when as they walk in, Kix spots them and hurries over, somewhat hampered by a skinny Human boy hanging off his shoulders. The rest of the freed children are either hiding or running around the medbay, garnering confused and amused looks from the injured troopers installed on the bunks.

“How’re things, Kix?” Rex asks, a bit wry, nodding at a child who’s currently playing with a pile of bacta patches. Kix glances over, swears, signals at one of the junior medics with a great deal of emphasis, and turns back to them.

“Fine enough, Commander, but I’m having a little trouble with that little Togruta girl, Kila? Tup brought her in and he was entertaining her, but then I sent him to get a few things done for me and she’s been hiding over there under that bunk,” Kix gestures indicatively, “ever since. I can’t coax her out, I think- Well, General, I think she’s Force-sensitive, because she’s been covering her montrals and not listening to a word I say, although I think it helps when I try to use the Force to calm her down.” Kix rubs the back of his neck, a bit, and winces as the little boy clinging to him hauls himself further up to lean across Kix’s shoulder.

Rex does a very good job, he thinks, of stifling a laugh.

Ahsoka nods, looking a bit surprised, and says, “Let me see if I can get her out,” before weaving around a few rows of bunks to crouch next to the one Kix said Kila was hiding underneath. Rex follows her, leaning back against a different bunk and being quiet - he figures he’s not really a reassuring sight, for most of the kids, and Kila seems skittish.

“Hey, Kila?” Ahsoka says, quiet, then adds something in the odd, sort of pretty trilling language she’d used earlier. Rex has only heard her native language a couple times, and never in a proper conversation, and he can’t help but be a little fascinated. He’d be willing to bet no Human could replicate the sounds - and equally willing to bet that half his brothers would try anyway if he bet them they couldn’t. He figures if the kid is Force-sensitive, the medbay’s not the best place for her, and also, he should try to calm down. He’s still pissed off, and if he’s learned anything from Naas, it’s that _apparently_ Force-sensitive people notice things like that.

~~~

As soon as Kila hears Ahsoka’s voice (or maybe senses her, if Kix is right and she _is_ sensitive), the little girl comes scrambling out from under the bunk, flings her arms tight around Ahsoka’s shoulders and buries her face. _“I don’t like it here, Huntress Ahsoka, it’s too loud and it hurts.”_

Well, that answers that question. _“I’m sorry, Kila,”_ Ahsoka says, soothes a hand gently over Kila’s spine. _“I didn’t think about that. What you’re feeling is the Force of the room. There are a lot of sad, sick, and hurting people in here, and you can feel all them.”_

 _“I want to go somewhere else, please,”_ Kila says, shaky, and Ahsoka sighs.

“Kix, if you’re okay with it I’m going to take her somewhere a bit less…” and she gestures expansively at the medbay. “The mess, maybe?”

Kix nods - she thinks he looks a bit overwhelmed right now. “That’d be good, you can get her something better than a ration bar to eat. She’s half-starved and too small for her age.”

“Can I go too?” the boy flopped over Kix’s shoulders asks, eyes brightening, and Ahsoka presses her lips together to stifle a smile.

“No, Jace,” the medic sighs, and Ahsoka snorts and leaves him to his babysitting.

“Come on, little one,” she says, scooping Kila up into her arms and standing, although the girl is heavier than she looks. “Let’s go somewhere quieter, okay?”

“Okay,” Kila agrees, wrapping her arms around Ahsoka’s neck.

“You coming, Rex?” she asks, walking back towards the medbay exit.

“No, I think you will have a better chat without me,” Rex says, with a cheerful grin at Kila; she smiles back, tentative, and then hides her face again. “I’ll be in the barracks.”

“I guess it’s just us girls, then,” Ahsoka tells Kila, with a smug grin. Kila giggles into Ahsoka’s shoulder, grey eyes peeking up, bright and cheerful. Ahsoka grins wider, looks over at Rex, sees he’s watching her with one of the softest smiles she’s ever seen on his face, and she can’t help softening in response. “C’mere, you,” she says, frees one arm and tugs him over to her so she can kiss him, quickly, although that makes Kila make a disgusted noise and hide her face again. “I’ll see you later, alright?”

“Sure, _cyare,”_ he says, warm and grinning, and she rolls her eyes at him and heads out of the medbay, for the mess hall.

If Kila’s Force-sensitive enough for the Temple, then maybe… She’s too young, right now, and Ahsoka’s not ready for a padawan yet. But maybe in a year or two. And until then, Kila can stay in the Temple creche and Ahsoka and Rex can come visit her and it’ll be good.

Ahsoka smiles, adjusts Kila more securely against her hip, and starts telling Kila about the Temple as they walk, a lightness in her step and in her heart that she hasn’t really felt for a while.

Things, she thinks, are going to turn out _wonderful._

~~~

By the time Rex gets back to the barracks, most of the angry burn in his chest has dissipated, and he’s able to relax his shoulders and settle down - there’s a notification on his datapad that says his requisition of a new Phase 2 helmet, and luckily enough, a Phase 1, has gone through, so either he’ll have the shipment already or it should be here soon, and then he’ll have to get to work piecing together a new helmet that he’s satisfied with. It’ll be good to have a project to work on, quite frankly.

His men have mostly settled back into the barracks, as usual - they’re sharing drinks and cleaning their kits and, as always, a few are quietly saying names to themselves. The _new_ recruits, for the most part, are still enthused, chattering loudly about what was, for some of them, their first battle. It was a good first battle, Rex thinks - minimal casualties, a clear victory against a clear enemy. Not everyone gets so lucky.

As Rex makes his way back to his bunk, he passes an amusingly mismatched couple of shinies - Rex hasn’t met them yet, as far as he can tell (new kids with their regulation manners, haircut, and armor are harder to distinguish from each other), and one of them, with a few stripes of blue on his armor, is enthusiastically detailing a run-in he had with some of the Zygerrians. His friend, who has no paint on his armor, looks distinctly uncomfortable and is diligently cleaning his blaster.

“-and then I shot the whip out of his hand and shot him before he could get his blaster,” the kid says, smugly, making demonstrative gestures with both hands, like he’s still holding his blaster rifle, and Rex stifles an amused smile. Gods, now that the war is almost over, the kid’s innocence is more entertaining than depressing - with any luck (not that Rex is usually lucky), they won’t have any more battles that go as badly as some have in the past.

“That’s great, I guess, but you know it’s just our job, ‘52,” the other shiny says, tiredly, and Rex stops and turns to face the kids, scowling.

“Hey, trooper,” he says, to the less enthusiastic of the two. “Your friend got a name?”

The kid flinches a little, eyes widening. “I’m sorry, sir, I didn’t mean-”

“Leave him alone,” the other kid snaps, crossing his arms and stepping over so he stands half in front of his friend, and Rex blinks, slightly surprised. “I’m fine.”

Rex crosses his arms and nods, shortly. _“Do_ you have a name yet, kid?”

“Yeah. I’m Scrap,” he answers, a bit belligerent, lifting his chin.

“Well, Scrap, in my barracks I usually expect my troops to respect each other’s names,” Rex says, firmly, glancing at Scrap’s friend. He’s trying to be patient - it strikes him that the young trooper is uncomfortable, nervous even, and Rex understands that maybe this setting is new for him, but names are not optional here.

Scrap, however, tightens his arms across his chest, takes a step towards Rex, and tells him again, “Why don’t you just leave off? ‘80 didn’t do anything.”

Rex frowns, glances between them again - the other trooper, ‘80 apparently? is cringing and shaking his head slightly like he wants to be somewhere else, and Rex makes a quick decision and gestures shortly. “Scrap, with me, right now. And you, ‘80, is it? Good job cleaning your kit, we’ll be back momentarily.”

‘80 nods, emphatically, while Scrap scowls and follows Rex as he strides back away from the bunks, off to the side of the room. Rex leans his shoulder against the wall, and the kid, Scrap, resumes his wide-footed, cross-armed stance, glaring.

“I need you to calm down, kid,” Rex says, seriously, raising an eyebrow in gentle admonishment. “Your _vod_ can’t be ignoring your name like that, you know that’s not right. Does he have a name?”

Scrap scowls fiercer, if that’s possible. “No, he doesn’t think he’s supposed to have one. And he can call me what he wants, I don’t care.” Rex suspects that isn’t quite true, but Scrap looks damn sure of himself.

Sighing, Rex straightens somewhat and crosses his own arms. “Can you explain to me why he thinks he can’t have a name?” he asks, more softly, trying to be understanding - this is not, he thinks, a time where orders would be helpful.

Scrap shifts, seemingly not expecting that response, then says, still somewhat argumentative, “He doesn’t really think we clones are Human, sir. He had a bad trainer who used the training bands too much, hasn’t really gotten over it.”

Rex narrows his eyes a bit. “I see. What do you mean, ‘training bands’?”

Scrap blinks. “Sir, they… Well, you know, the bracelets,” and he demonstrates by curling his fingers around one wrist, “that they use to shock us if we’re acting out of line.”

Rex grits his teeth, takes a couple careful breaths. He’s known, and he and Cody have discussed, how training on Kamino quickly grew less effective after the first couple batches of _vode_ \- in war, good work was often replaced with what was quickest and cheapest. That meant Phase 1 armor getting switched out for the shittier Phase 2, that meant standard-issue blasters had sights that needed adjusting, that meant _vode_ came out to fight with only half the training Rex and Cody and their oldest brothers had received. Still, Rex had not thought about what that poor training could do to morale - he and the oldest batchers had been taught by Mandalorians, by Jango Fett himself, other elite fighters who at least treated them like respectable soldiers.

Perhaps that, too, has changed. Because whatever else had been true of Jango Fett, he had always respected them, treated them like people and taught them his language and traditions so they could pass them on to every brother that came after. None of their trainers before would have used something as humiliating as a shock bracelet to keep them in line, although certainly Rex got his fair share of hard knocks.

“May I clarify, Scrap,” he says, slowly. “You’re telling me that the trainers on Kamino put cuffs on your wrists and used them to shock you if you were not behaving in ways they considered appropriate?”

“Well, I mean… obviously, sir,” Scrap answers, sounding a bit bewildered. “They… they didn’t do that to you?”

“No.” Rex thinks if anyone had tried, he would not have been… cooperative. “I was fortunate enough to have _good_ trainers, _vod’ika.”_ Rex finds himself wanting to sit ‘80 down and explain to him how he is a person, how their Jedi have always said so and how he has learned it himself from four years of war and death and grief, just like he has wanted to tell every one of his _vode_ for the longest time but especially since this bill. But it’s never as simple as that, and Rex is just one Commander, and only recently a Commander at that. He’ll never be enough to protect all his brothers, he knows that, but _gods_ he wishes he could.

~~~

Scrap doesn’t really understand what’s going on anymore.

He’d expected to be pulled aside and told that ‘80’s in trouble, or that Scrap himself is in trouble for backtalking the _Commander._ That’s what would make sense. ‘80 hasn’t been talking much to the rest of their _vode,_ because of the names, and Scrap has wished that ‘80 _would,_ so maybe he could learn that they’re Human too, but he’d known it wouldn’t go well the first time he got too anxious to use their names.

“He used to play pranks a lot,” Scrap explains, hesitant, “when we were young, before Jex Vis took over our training. He’s a bounty hunter, and he… is like the longnecks, doesn’t think we’re people. He’d get really mad at ‘80, so he put a training band on him and shocked him for everything.” Scrap doesn’t mean to fidget, he really doesn’t, but he’s talking to _Commander Rex,_ who’s almost as much of a legend as Marshal Commander Cody.

The Commander’s face is dark and scowling, but his voice is calm when he answers. “Was that common, when you were training?”

“It depended on the trainer. General Ti tried to make sure no one was hurting us too much, but I don’t think she knew about the training bands - the Jedi would’ve stopped them, I know they would’ve,” he hurries to add. “Jex Vis was one of the worse ones, I guess. We couldn’t really use Mando’a around him - ‘80 won’t use it at all, and I try not to use it around him, it makes him anxious.” Scrap pauses. “He’s a good _vod,_ sir, please don’t discipline him for this.”

“Of course not, Scrap,” the Commander says, and Scrap lets out a breath. “But I can’t keep the whole battalion from speaking Mando’a, and your _vode_ won’t appreciate it if he can’t learn to at least use their names.”

“I know, sir,” Scrap says quickly. “I’ve been trying to help him, but he just- doesn’t believe me. He doesn’t talk to anybody else, though, because of the names. I don’t… really know what to do anymore, to be honest, sir.”

Commander Rex smiles. “Why don’t I talk to him a little - I wouldn’t worry, Scrap. He’s not the first _vod_ I’ve met who felt that way.”

“You’ll help him?” Scrap probably shouldn’t sound so hopeful and unprofessional in front of his _Commander,_ it’s just- he’ll _help._ “Thank you so much, sir.”

The Commander puts a hand on his shoulder. “I’ll try, kid. Can’t hurt too much to try.”

“Thank you, sir,” Scrap says again, tucks his hands behind his back in parade rest so he doesn’t accidentally hug _the Commander._ “Do you… want to talk to him now?”

“Why don’t we?” Commander Rex looks serious, but there’s a smile in his voice.

So Scrap leads him back to his bunk. ‘80 is still sitting there, cleaning the last of the grime off his blaster, but when he sees them he jumps to his feet and snaps to attention, quickly. “Commander, sir, I’m sorry - please don’t get- my brother in trouble, it’s not his fault, sir.”

“At ease, kid,” Rex says, and ‘80 stops talking, although he doesn’t really relax much. “You wanna take a seat?” Scrap sits down on the bunk, tugs on ‘80’s arm until his _vod_ sits down next to him, still ramrod-straight. “Scrap isn’t in trouble.” He’s so _calm,_ Scrap doesn’t understand how he does it.

“He’s not?” ‘80 says, sounds surprised, and then corrects himself immediately. “I mean- yes, sir, of course. I’m sorry for questioning you, sir.”

“It’s okay, ‘80,” Scrap says, patting his brother’s shoulder encouragingly. “You don’t have to apologize.”

“He’s right. Not a problem, kid. And you’re not in trouble, either.” Scrap doesn’t know how the Commander can be so- _gentle._

“Oh, I- yes, sir,” ‘80 says, swallowing. “Did you… need something?”

“Why don’t you want to use Scrap’s name, ‘80?” Rex asks, and Scrap swallows, tightens his hands around his thighs.

‘80 flinches, goes even straighter and more tense. “Well- sir- we aren’t supposed to have names,” he says, rubs at his left wrist, where Scrap knows there’s a ring of scars. “I- we aren’t allowed. And I don’t want- him to get in trouble, sir.”

“Who told you we weren’t allowed?” Rex is more professional,this time, and Scrap straightens instinctively. “Marshal Commander Cody got his name from his trainers - and there’s nothing in the regs that says we can’t choose a callsign.”

“Our trainer did, sir,” ‘80 says, fidgets with his wrist again. Scrap wants to hug him. “He said- we don’t deserve names, they just distract us from our job, and that we needed to learn our place in the Republic.”

“Your trainer was wrong, kid. You ended up with a bad one, it sounds like.” ‘80 is already shaking his head, just a little bit, and Scrap swallows again, slumps. It’s not going to work. “Our place in the Republic has always been protecting it, and because of that we are entitled to our names.”

‘80 shakes his head very hard. “I can’t, sir, I’m sorry,” he says, looking down at the ground.

Scrap shouldn’t have gotten his hopes up.

~~~

Rex thinks he deserves some kind of congratulations for how much patience he’s learned in the past year - and he’s still not sure if he’s succeeding at keeping his anger to himself at the moment. He’s trying, and he knows he has good self-control, but these days he feels like his anger is always too close to the surface. He breathes in, careful, and looks straight at ‘80, trying to convey how certain he is. “‘80, listen to me. I’ve been fighting this war since it started, and I was trained by Jango Fett. When I say your trainer was wrong, I know what I’m talking about.”

‘80 glances at him, quickly, eyes widening, and says, “You trained with- _him?”_ Then, just as quickly, he looks embarrassed and drops his eyes back to his knees.

Rex has always found that bringing up Jango Fett worked wonders on shinies who were having trouble following orders - it seems that still holds true here. “I did. He taught us Mando’a, and he taught us how to remember our brothers when we lost them. And he taught us how to be soldiers,” which lately Rex is less grateful for, but it’s kept him alive more times than he can count, “and he never once said we weren’t people, ‘80.”

Scrap looks to be listening just as intently as ‘80 - because although ‘80 isn’t quite looking at him, Rex can tell he’s paying attention. Again, telling shinies about their progenitor tends to have that effect.

After a moment, though, ‘80 shifts a little and says, shakily, “But, he’s dead, sir, and the Kaminoans don’t agree with him, and…” He stops, and Rex notes that Scrap looks disappointed, but he stays focused on ‘80, who’s clearly anxious. “The Jedi don’t even notice, sir, all due respect, sir.”

“The Jedi don’t notice a lot of things,” Rex says, very gently, leaning forward a little. “They’re not all-powerful, and sometimes they get-” He stops, tries to think of a word that won’t sound like he’s being insubordinate. “They get too focused on the big picture. They can’t keep track of everything, much as I think they’d like to.” That comes out more wry than he wants it to; he expects Ahsoka would be giving him a _look_ at the moment.

‘80 looks thoughtful, for a moment, rubbing his knuckles against his thigh, then he looks back at Rex. “But General Ti is supposed to oversee our training, sir. And… he said- she doesn’t care about us.”

Rex thinks Shaak Ti did a shit job overseeing training, but he’s aware he’s somewhat biased. “Trying to personally watch over the training of millions of men is difficult,” he says, as charitably as he can, using a professional demeanor to hide his private irritation. “And I rather suspect that the Kaminoans and your trainer didn’t intend for her to know about their fancy new methods.” Gods, he should try not to be so bitter.

“I guess.” ‘80 doesn't sound at all convinced, and he's still fidgeting, but Rex knows better than to expect that this could change all at once. “I'm sorry for taking your time, sir, you must be very busy,” he adds, and Rex smiles, genuinely.

“Hardly too busy for my _vode,”_ he says, gently, and puts a steadying hand on '80's shoulder. “Don't worry too much, kid. You're in the 501st now, and I get the feeling you'll fit in fine.”

“Oh,” ‘80 says, with a hint of surprise coloring his voice. Sheepishly, then, he meets Rex's eyes and tells him, “The- kids liked me, sir,” he says, proud, eyes brightening a little.

Rex grins, warm. “Good. That's more than I can say, I think I scare them.” He chuckles a bit - he's never been the best with kids, but he does like them a great deal.

“The Twi'lek,” ‘80 clarifies. “His name is Teru.”

Rex nods approvingly. “It's good you talked to him, I don't think most of them have gotten to have friends before.”

“He doesn’t speak Basic very well, so I used a translation app on my datapad to help,” ‘80 says, still with a hint of pride.

“I’m glad, _vod’ika._ Smart thinking like that’s gonna help you here,” Rex says, kind, smiling - he can’t help it, he just wants to encourage the kid. He thinks he ought to see about having Kix ask him to help with the freed kids for the time being, because it might help. Besides that, Naas is still in the medbay, and Rex thinks there’s a chance Naas could be helpful to ‘80.

“You- think that was smart?” ‘80 stammers, eyes brightening, smiling a little - Rex is a bit amused by a discreet, fond eye roll from Scrap.

“Yeah, I do.” Rex pats ‘80’s shoulder and gets to his feet with a quiet sigh, tucking his hands behind his back. “Well, you two’ll have to excuse me - been in this damn armor too long and I’ve got reports. ‘80, I think in a little while you should check in with Kix and see if he needs help with the _ad’ike.”_

“Really? I can- do that, sir?”

Rex chuckles and nods. “Frankly, I think Kix would be very grateful if you did - I suspect all the medics are having a bit of difficulty trying to treat the wounded _and_ watch the children.”

He’s about to go, but ‘80 looks like he wants to say something, so Rex waits a second, shooting a smile at Scrap, who looks very relieved and pleased with how the conversation seems to have gone. After a second, ‘80 asks, cautiously, “Can ‘52- um- Can-” He stops, fidgeting, and Rex is quiet and waits for him to sort out what he’s going to ask. “Can… Scrap come with me?”

Admittedly, Rex thinks he must look a little smug, when he looks at Scrap this time, and he nods, trying not to seem _too_ enthusiastic. “Sure, you two can do what you want. Just don’t get in Kix’s way and you should be fine.”

‘80 nods, quickly. “We won’t, sir, we’ll be careful.”

“Good man,” Rex says, approvingly, controlling his smile, and then he salutes loosely and turns to head over to his bunk and sit down, kriffing _finally._ He’s tired, and although today has been, for the most part, a success on a number of levels, he wishes he didn’t keep finding out more ways people have hurt his _vode._ It’s getting real damn old.

It does remind him, though, of something Cody had mentioned - apparently, Cody sat in on a meeting that the Jedi Council had about the clone decommission bill, and he’s trying to work out how they can talk their way out of the problem. Maybe this sort of thing would help, because maybe everyone could excuse themselves for locking the _vode_ away if they thought the Kaminoans and others would be kind, but if they knew how the Kaminoans had always done whatever they saw fit, regardless of what was best for them - Rex doesn’t figure it would help much, but he still doesn’t want anyone under any delusions about exactly what they’d be doing to a few million Humans.

After all, if they need to fight, he’d rather everyone was on the same page about _why._

Gods, he thinks he’s getting pessimistic.

He’s just had about _enough,_ and he’s ready for the fighting to be over, ready for a gods-damned _break._ He’d much rather be trying to work out how he and Ahsoka can have a life together without pissing off the Council, instead of how to keep himself from getting penned up like an inconvenient pet at the end of the war. But nothing’s ever been that easy, so he supposes he’ll just have to make this work. Maybe he even better try to have some optimism. Maybe Ahsoka’s right and the Jedi’s help will do something, maybe the few Senators who are on their side will come up with something good. Rex is tired of thinking about the alternative.

Soon, he hopes, it has to get better.


End file.
